Love & Remembrance
by megagirlonline21
Summary: Mated demons Vergil and Ailie have been separated for years, and now are re-united but not before something threatens the very world they know. Vergil & OC
1. Chance Meeting

Trahan Writing & Co.

Love and Remembrance

A love story between estranged demon mates in the world of the near future of the year 2035.

**Amanda Trahan**

**2/23/2012**

Mated demons, Vergil and Ailie, have been apart for almost fifty years. Suddenly, Vergil reappears in her life claiming to realize his mistake. Will Ailie accept his explanation, or will she decide she likes the life of a loner after all?

Chapter One

The wind howled through the frigid night air as a figure drifted in and out through the shadows, becoming one with the darkness. Snow had begun to fall before dusk, covering the outside world in a cold, unforgiving blanket. At least, that's how it felt for the shadowy figure.

Families and people with hallway decent lives would be excited and distracted at the sight. Tomorrow they would be sledding down normally grass-covered hills, and throwing snowballs at one another in mock wars. Forts and snowmen would be built; schools and businesses would be closed…

"Bah, what a load of rubbish." The figure spat as these thoughts crossed into her already crowded mind. "Snow is nothing more than frozen rain, and yet they close down schools and businesses for it, but when it's just plain old wet rain, tough luck. Honestly sometimes I just don't understand human behavior."

Suddenly, a strong hand clamped down on her mouth, effectively disabling her voice from escaping to call for help.

"Shh, I'm a friend, I'm your contact." A quiet voice whispered in her ear. "I thought you would get lost with the fresh snowfall, so I decided to intercept you here. My name is Dante. If I let you go, will you properly introduce yourself? The only introduction I got was a picture of you; I don't even know your name."

The woman nodded her head to show she would comply. Felling the hand come away from her throat, she straightened herself and her clothes before turning to face the stranger named Dante. Her heart leapt into her throat as she recognized just who exactly Dante was. Many years had passed since they had last seen each other, ever since the day his older brother, Vergil had left her broken-hearted as he pursued his ideal of one day taking over the human world.

'_Will he recognize me after so many years?' _ The woman thought to herself. '_Will he recognize my voice, even though my looks have changed so drastically? That means I can't tell him my old name, no matter what, not that anyone else alive would know it.'_

"So your name is Dante, is it?" She asked matter-of-factly, trying to exude an air of authority and professionalism, being a woman who was always serious about just about everything. "Tell me, why did your council choose such an old man to greet the established Queen of Demons?"

Dante snickered quietly at her question.

"I suppose you're referring to my silver hair, well it's not because I am advanced in my years, although I am approaching my seventieth year. I was born with my hair this naturally pale shade."

'_Seventy? My god it's been almost forty-three years, it can't have been, and it has to have been longer, hasn't it?'_

"Seventy years old, huh, that would put you born around the nineteen forties."

"Forty-five, to be exact, both me and my older brother, you see, we were twins." Dante replied. "Now, may I have your name, if it pleases the Queen?"

"Very well, my name is Andorra; I have no nickname and do not wish to have any." She responded tartly. "We should get moving they'll be expecting us at the checkpoint when the sky begins to lighten."

"Actually there has been a change in plans," Dante stated. "Because of the unexpected snowfall, the council has asked me to escort you to find shelter for the night, considering your predisposition to cold-related illness."

"How thoughtful of them," Andorra replied sarcastically, "I suppose they thought a hotel room would be satisfactory?"

"No, they have provided a place that even a Queen would welcome in the very worst of consequences. If you would just follow me, we will be there in less than a half hour."

Andorra was glad not to have to look at Dante's face any longer, no offense to him, of course. He just reminded her of Vergil so strongly that it almost hurt her to look into his beautiful cerulean blue eyes and be reminded of the man she had loved and lost to the seductive thought of unlimited power. Over forty years had passed, and still the memory of that night stabbed into her heart, almost breaking her from the inside out every time. Yet no matter how much it hurt her, once she started, she could not stop until she felt as if her heart had been ripped away from her chest, leaving nothing except raw nerves and morbid sense of relief as she imagined the organ no longer in pain.

Masochism was a trait she had learned early in life, even before she had met Vergil, and she had suffered from it for almost one hundred years, but never had it been as serious and deep-rooted as the anguish she felt for that demon of a man.

"You mentioned a brother?" She prompted. "What was he like?"

"He and I were as unalike as we could be. I was the wild, disobedient child, whereas he would always listen to everything our parents said, to a certain extent. He had a little bit of a rebellious side, but he mostly kept to himself. I was always chasing after girls, being something of a Casanova in my prime. My brother, on the other hand, I can't recall if he ever dated any woman; well except for one.

"They were the perfect match, amplifying each other's qualities and generally getting along better than most couples. If they ever fought it was never serious, at least not that anyone knew of. They would pick and antagonize each other, but aside from that, she was the perfect woman for him. Then…" Dante paused

"Then what?" Andorra pressed, trying to keep the anxiety out of her voice.

"He just screwed it up, with almost no hope of ever fixing it between them. He decided he would rather try to take over the human world than start a family and get married. See, she had just announced she was pregnant."

The memory crashed over here so severely that she had to stop walking, clutching her belly as she recalled the living baby in her womb at the time.

"You okay?" He asked, not turning around.

"Yes, I thought I heard something is all, please continue. You said the woman had just become pregnant, what happened after that?"

"Well, he seemed happy at first, even had the idea for the wedding himself. Things were going so well, until one night something happened to him. We were on a mission, slaying demons and rescuing people, when he received a really bad blow to the head, knocking him unconscious. We got done with the mission, brought him back to base to be treated, and all seemed to be fine until he woke up. Something in his eyes was different, there was a strange glow to them I had never seen before. I pointed it out, and then he became really violent; attacking us as if we were his enemies instead of his allies.

"We tried to calm him down, but he took off and left. We tried to follow him but we lost his trail before deciding to warn his mate, we didn't want him to get to her and end up hurting her and the baby or worse, y'know? By the time we had gotten her on the phone, she said he was just coming through the door, and then the line went dead. The six of us rushed over there, hoping we would get there in time. He must have teleported, because it was a good half-hour trip outside of town to get there.

"Unfortunately, when we arrived, it was too late, they had already battled; her trying to reason with him, make him see sense. He adamantly refused to do so, and began packing her stuff to leave. She grabbed onto his arm to stop him, and he swung around, stabbing his sword straight through her belly. The baby was run clean through, the umbilical cord was cut, and the placenta detached. She may have been a demon, but the baby couldn't survive such a wound. She went into an immediate miscarriage, blacking out as he pulled the sword away from her already healed flesh.

"Noticing what was happening, but not caring; he just stepped over her and left her on the floor. He had just left the property when we arrived. The sight we walked in on was so gruesome and horrible that to this day it still haunts me, but not nearly as bad as what we had to _do_ in the next moments. In order for her to survive, we had to remove the baby by force, continually slicing her open again and again until we could pull out everything that was damaged. The baby was so small; it was no bigger than a few inches across. Its features were still forming, but you could tell it was an unborn baby that would never get to see the light of day.

"After removing the baby, my niece took it and wrapped it in a blanket before taking it away to be buried. We still had to remove the placenta and what was left of the cord, which was relatively easy considering the damage. After throwing them away, we cleaned up as best we could then we took her back to base so she could heal." Dante's voice had taken on a distinct tone that said he was remembering the day, wishing he had never lived through something so scarring and emotional.

"Did she heal?" Andorra asked, knowing the answer already.

"Physically she did. It was the emotional side of things that threw her out of whack, as well as her mental state of mind. Had she been human, she would have gone mad; that is, if she would have survived. Being a demon, all she could do was cry and rage and blame anyone and anything about what had happened. Finally, after a week of her tearing down everything, she finally seemed to calm down a little bit. After composing herself, she was a different person. She acted as if nothing had happened, as if they had never met and had a life together. I guess in her mind if she thought it didn't happen, then it didn't.

"She stayed with us a little while longer before setting off on her own, and that was the last day any of us ever heard of her or from her again."

Andorra fought back tears as she felt the pain in her chest tighten with the recounting of the story that had changed her life nearly fifty years ago. Torn between her life of anonymity and the desire to tell this man who she really was began to cause her more pain, but it was a different type than the kind she had come to welcome as an old friend lately. Deciding to quarrel with herself over it later, she continued to follow Dante until she could see a shape rise in the near distance. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

"What about your brother? Has he ever changed, you know, come back to himself. Or is he still pursuing his ideal of taking over the world?"

"To be honest, that's what this particular council meeting is about tomorrow evening. He turned himself in, refuses to tell anyone why though, so they decided to bring you in because you're the last living demon of royal descent, they only one capable of giving a punishment suited for his actions. They will be given to you when we arrive tomorrow."

Andorra stopped cold again, her heart thudding in her chest so hard, she was sure Dante would be able to hear it through her ribs.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked, turning to see to her.

"Why do they never tell me the full extent of these council meetings if I'm the one doing all the dirty work and making the hard decisions?" She replied, trying to keep her voice even and tired. "I mean, if I'm supposed to be dolling out punishment for crimes committed by supernatural creatures, don't you think I need to know before I actually get there? Seriously, I thought human behavior confused me but now I can see that demons are just as baffling."

"I have no say in that," Dante stated. "However, I can say that we have reached our destination. Welcome, milady, to your accommodations for the night."

Andorra looked up to see an old log cabin that may have once been a lovely homestead, but now looked in desperate need of an Extreme Makeover-Home Edition episode.

Some of the cedar logs that made up the outside had begun to mold and sprout various growths of fungi and moss, staining the once mahogany wood to contrasting shades of green and yellow and white. Further towards the ground, shoots of ivy had begun to creep along the cracks in the grain of the wood, in a way both beautifying and disfiguring the old home. The tin-metal roof looked to have once been a beautiful shade of emerald shingles, but was now stained black by years of weather and disuse.

"I hope the inside is nicer that what it appears to be." She remarked.

"Demon magic at its finest, Andorra. The outside is made to look inhabitable so that no wandering passers-by are tempted to try and stay the night. Meanwhile, on the inside it is created to look like a five-star resort, complete with day, and night chefs as well as a full waited staff to cater to your every whim. There is a pool, gym, and a full bar. There is also a staff room for preliminary plans on your session with the council tomorrow afternoon." Dante had continued explaining until they had reached the dilapidated porch, upon which a badly weathered door opened, and Andorra could feel warm air caress her wind-beaten face.

"Hello, Andorra." A severely familiar voice answered as her eyes adjusted to the light spilling out onto the snow. When her eyes had become accustomed to the brightness, her heart leapt into her throat as she recognized the figure standing before them.

"Vergil." Her voice was choked and hoarse as she stumbled back a few steps, almost falling to her knees in the snow she hadn't realized she'd stepped into.

Suddenly, a blunt pain exploded in the back of her skull and bright stars danced through her vision before going dark as she fell backwards into the snow, her body crunching on the miniscule ice crystals.

"Thank you again, Dante." Vergil said as they lay Andorra on a couch just inside by a slowly crackling fire in the hearth.

"Yeah, well you're lucky I decided to help you in the first place." Dante's voice was joking but serious as he backed away from the sleeping demoness.

"Yeah, I didn't really give anyone a reason to do so forty-three years ago, did I?"

Dante said nothing; he could sense the regret and remorse in his older brother's voice and decided he felt bad enough for the moment.

It had been only recently that Vergil had come back to his senses after trying to take over the human world. He had once again received a blow the head and his perspective was changed, with him realizing what he had done and what damage his actions had caused to those around him. He had tracked down his brother and the rest of the demon slayers, two of whom should have been dead due to old age. After convincing them he was the same Vergil they had known before, he asked what had become of his old mate. After hearing that she had disappeared quickly after healing from her injuries, he had enlisted their help in tracking her down.

After almost five years and almost forty-five thousand hours of research, they had finally found someone who fit the description of the missing woman.

A recently discovered demoness of royal birth and pedigree had been appointed to the very rare status of Queen of all demons, ruling over all creatures that were of supernatural birth. The name had been different from the name Vergil had known her by, but she looked the same, save for a few minute changes. Her once coal-black hair now had pure white streaks highlighting the inky tresses. Eyes that used to be the color of freshly polished emeralds were now a fierce violet, with flecks of sapphire and ruby. Her features had once been proud and happy were now serious and determined.

But perhaps the most distinguishing feature that had changed over the years was how she carried herself, and how her voice had changed in tone. She used to walk with confidence and grace, now she looked defeated but determined; her voice used to sound almost musical to his highly sensitive ears, but now echoed with a memory of a former life that had included happiness and love, now it was lifeless and sharp. The woman he had found tonight was nothing more than a memory, an echo of a previous life. It was as if all the happiness and love had been sucked out of her, leaving nothing but this shell of a woman.

Would he be able to convince her he had changed? He hoped so with every fiber of his being.

"Should we call the others and let them know we have found her?" Dante asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yes, you call the women; I'll handle Nero and Kyrie."

Silence descended on the interior of the establishment as both men turned to their phones, contacting their allies to abandon their searches because they had found her.

After they had both hung up their phones, Vergil turned to the still figure of the woman he had abandoned and hurt all those years ago. Guilt began to course through him, and a bitter sensation seemed to settle deep in his belly. Sorrow for the baby he had inadvertently killed in his altered state of mind became a heavy weight where his heart resided in his chest. The organ he had thought he'd lost when he gave up on his mate and his family now ached with such force he wished it would explode already, at least then it would stop hurting.

"I don't think she will take this very well," Dante commented. "She seemed pretty freaked when she saw you standing in the doorway. Then again, she does have a good reason to fear you, seeing as how the last time you were together you almost killed her."

"Dante, please…" Vergil's voice was quiet. "I know what I've done, and I know why she would reject me, even if she does manage to accept my apology. Hell, I don't even know if _I _would forgive me if I were in her place. I don't even know what to do if she would take me back. I never imagined I'd find her, much less get the chance."

"Well, for starters, you can start by putting that woman at the top of your priority list. You have to build her trust for you all over again, just like when you first got together. She's spent the last forty-three years just wandering around feeling sorry for herself, because she thought she did something wrong. The only reason she accepted the position she has now was so she could take her mind off it and stop hurting, although I don't know why she wanted me to tell her about what had happened. She knew who I was, so why would she willingly put herself through the pain?"

"Masochism." Vergil stated simply.

"Gesundeit."

"No, masochism is a syndrome, I guess you could say. It means that the person is willing to cause themselves pain, be it physical, mental, or emotional. They get some morbid sense of satisfaction out of it, and I noticed that she had some of the qualities when we were together. I guess after what I out her through, she'd really need to up the ante just so she could feel alive instead of feeling like an echo of her former self, which is exactly what I see her as at this moment."

"Oh, well then that explains it. How much longer should she be out? I didn't hit her that hard."

"That all depends on her," Vergil replied. "I imagine I gave her quite a shock, so something inside her is trying to reason that this is all a dream that it can't possibly be true. Another part of her wants it to be true so she can stop hurting and finally be happy again, if all goes according to plan. Another part of wants her to be undecided on how she feels so she can decide which option will benefit her the most, not just now, but in the long run. That's just me reappearing I her life. That's not how she would feel once she realized it was true and either accepted it or turned her back on me."

"How in the hell can she feel all that at once? How can anyone feel that much all at one time? She's not going to explode is she?" Dante asked incredulously.

"Not in the sense you mean, but she may get violent. Then again, she may not. I don't know how she is anymore, so I don't know how she would react anymore."

"Same here." Dante responded. "Guess all we can do is wait it out, huh?"

"All we can do."

"I just hope she comes to soon, I've always hated waiting for anything."

"That's bullshit," Vergil interjected, leaning close to the fireplace. "What about all those video games you'd camp in front of the stores for?"

"I hated the wait, but I'd do it just to be the first customer to grab the new product. There's some kind of power over other people if you have the very first copy." Dante replied, sitting at a nearby table.

"What ever happened to that game?" Vergil asked.

"We broke it during one of our 'sparring' sessions." He answered, smiling at the memory. "Those were the good ol' days, huh Verge?"

"We did have some good times, at least till father joined in and beat the crap out of both of us. Then mother would get on him for beating us, and then jump us for destroying our rooms, but it was always good-natured." Vergil recalled. "I wonder if maybe they would know what to do in this particular situation?"

"Absolutely." Dante replied. "Too bad they're dead though, and we have no way to ask them."

"You two are about to be dead if you don't explain to me what the fuck is going on around here."

The brothers turned to see Andorra standing next to the couch, her amethyst eyes ablaze with rage and confusion.

"Take it easy," Dante said, slowly walking forward. "There is a very good explanation for this."

"It better be." The woman seethed, anger emanating from her in waves so powerful they hit Vergil with such force that he knew he had a fight on his hands. "Why is he here?"

"You would be better off asking him that yourself." He replied.

"I have nothing to say to him, he had his chance to talk to me, and he ran me through with Yamato instead. No, the time for talk is over, all I want is for you to tell me why you brought him here. And answer me this, is really even a council meeting tomorrow, or is this a part of some elaborate scheme to get us back together? If so, then I want no part in it, he's caused me enough pain over the last forty plus years, I'm done."

Andorra turned to the door, preparing to walk out but Vergil stopped her this time.

"Dante," he said, not taking his cerulean eyes off of the tiny woman in front of him. "You'd better get away from here, it's going to get rather unpleasant, and you need not be caught in the crossfire, this is our fight."

"Nothing will ever be _ours_ again, no, this is your fight. I'm walking away from all of this, just like you did. You can try all you want, but-"

Her words were cut off as Vergil pulled her toward him roughly, pulling her mouth to his in a hungry, demanding kiss, during which Dante snuck away, leaving them to fight it out as they saw fit.

Andorra tried to fight her away out of Vergil's inhuman grip but she could not break his hold, even though she was a demon herself, he was stronger. Vergil pulled away suddenly then, and Andorra backed away hurriedly, gasping in shock and awe at the boldness of the man who stood before her. Her heart thudded in her breast, more alive now than it had been in years, yet hardly any pain was associated with each beat against her ribs.

"How dare you?" She screamed, composing herself as she grabbed a chair and threw it at his head. He dodged the heavy wooden frame, and it shattered to kindle inside the fire grate, causing the fire to crackle hungrily and flare higher.

"I had to distract you so you would let Dante get away, he shouldn't be in the middle of this." Came the simple reply. "And no, that was not the only reason I was so forward. I've missed you."

"Do you think I've missed you?" She asked, pacing the spacious room in long strides on slender, athletic legs. "I mean, my word Vergil, it's been over forty years did you ever think that maybe I've moved on, gotten over you, you know that sort of thing? What did you expect me to wait around, hoping against all hope that would have a change of heart again and come back? Did you expect things to go back to the way they were before? Think again, you must have had some serious brain damage, because it ain't happening."

Vergil smiled at her use of the slang word.

"And just what is so funny?" She balked, putting her hand on another chair, preparing to heave it across the room as well.

"You still say that word the same, I remember it was one of your favorites to use when you got excited."

"And? Your point?"

"No point, it just reminded me of all the happy memories we shared. I know I screwed it all up, but I'm willing to make it work again, if you'll have me that is."

"Are you mental? You reappear in my life after decades, and expect me to take you back because you remembered how I used to speak a slang word? You're dreaming, because that is the only place your little delusion will happen, is in your dreams." Andorra spat.

Vergil sighed.

"I didn't want to have to do this," he said, approaching her.

"Get away from me," she barked as she lifted the chair above her head.

Before she could do anything, Vergil took the chair from her before grabbing her wrists and forcing her against the far wall, effectively pinning her so she had no means of escape. She could feel one of his powerful legs between her thighs, decreasing the change of her driving her knee into his crotch. His face was merely inches from hers, close enough that she could feel the warm whisper of his breathing. She tried not to look into the electric blue depths of his eyes, but it was as if they were holding her there, keeping her prisoner mentally. She could not move or think when their eyes were locked, all she could do was breathe.

His scent gently wafted over her as her breathing slowed down, and she slowly drew in the scents of rain and winter, of a thunderstorm before it broke into freezing sheets of rain and sleet. She could smell the air as it was cleansed after a snowstorm in January, welcoming a new, fresh start to everything. As these thoughts entered her mind, she began to understand that she needed to listen to what he had to say before she made her decision. She may not like it, but it needed to be done.

Morning had begun to shine along the eastern horizon as Vergil finished explaining his journey during the last few decades. Andorra had stayed still and silent the entire time he narrated his demise and his rebirth, not once interrupting by either speech or movement. Her eyes and full attention had been trained on him, and early in the narration, she had realized that she already unconsciously made the decision to accept him back into her life, but it would not be easy to trust him until she knew for sure that he would never turn on her again.

"And then Dante contacted you, pretending to be a council member to lure you out here in the middle of nowhere so he could deliver you to me so I could apologize for all I've done."

"You've obviously been through hell and back, so I'll go easy on you." She said, standing to her feet. "I'll decide to try this again…if you do me one favor. You must pledge to me in this moment that no matter what happens, you will never again hurt me with your anger, be it physical, mental, or emotional. I never want to be pierced with pain from your actions again, do you understand? If you take a solemn vow to me right now that you will never do so, I will bind it to you for eternity. If you ever break this pact, it will cause unimaginable pain and suffering until you have suffered as I have over the years."

Without thinking of the severity of what he was doing, Vergil took her hands in his before falling to his knees in front of her.

"I'll do whatever it takes," he whispered. "You can bind me for eternity if it means that I can hold you in my arms again, felling your heart beat against mine. Do what you must, I have made my decision."

Andorra closed her eyes and placed her right palm against Vergil's smooth, cool forehead as she murmured words in a foreign dialect beneath her breath.

"By the powers I have imbued to me through the circumstances of my birth, I now bid thee bound by your word to the pact you have created in the presence of your Queen, Andorra of Equitant."

Warmth flooded Vergil as she sealed the pact within him, forever binding him to his word by the magic of his Queen. He felt the heat seep deep into him, soaking into his bones and muscles, preventing him from moving as he felt every inch of himself surrounded in the magic of her spell. His vision blurred and his mind seemed to slow as the magic continued to slowly creep into every surface both inside and out of his skin. Finally, the warmth began to ebb away and Vergil found himself longing for it to return, for it reminded him of a better life, a happier life than the one he had been leading lately.


	2. Reunion

**Chapter Two**

"Dante can come back now," Andorra said, turning away from Vergil, still on his knees. "He has some questions to answer."

Vergil stood to his feet, the warmth from her spell fading completely now. He reached for his phone, dialing Dante's number as he did so.

"Yes, you can come back now. No, I don't think they should be here just yet; have them stay in town at the hotel. See you in a few.

As he flipped the phone closed, he looked over at Andorra, whose back was turned to him as she observed the frozen landscape from the window. He noted how the white streaks in her hair made her seem more powerful than before, or that could be because now she was royalty in the demon world now. She stood straight and tall, her long hair reaching to her waist. Her hands rested on the mahogany wood of the windowsill, her nails unpainted and long. He also noticed how the cloak she had been wearing had disappeared.

The black pants she wore hugged her hips, and then flared out along her thighs and calves before fitting over her combat boots. Holstered at her hips were a pair of Sais and a custom-made semi-auto pistol of deepest onyx aptly named Black Death. Though he did not care for guns, he had to admit that it had always fit Andorra nicely as a weapon. Along her back he saw an addition to her arsenal, a 17th century Bushido samurai sword in a blue-black scabbard that tied in several locations along her waist.

"The sword is new, isn't it?" He asked.

She turned to look at him, her amethyst eyes soft as they met his blue ones.

"Yes. When I was made Queen, the council said I needed a proper weapon as a symbol of my power. I have always loved the Bushido, and so I commissioned this one restored to its former glory, and it has been a constant companion since." She replied

"Have you given it a name yet?"

"No, I still have not found a suitable title for it yet. My Sais are still unnamed as well, I do believe that I will leave my weapons nameless, save for Black Death, being as it was named when it was passed to me." She ran a gloved hand along the pistol, the memory of the family she had lost years ago apparent in her eyes.

Vergil gently placed a hand on her shoulder, but she shied away involuntarily.

"Sorry." She replied. "It's a reflex I seem to have picked up over the years."

"Understandable." Vergil replied, letting his hand fall to his side.

She didn't need to say it, but she still feared him from what he'd done to her. She had every reason to mistrust him; after all, he _did_ almost kill her, and the unborn baby…

What had happened to the child? Had it survived, or did he take another innocent life that night? He had never asked Dante, because he had forgotten until this moment.

"Andorra."

The female turned to face him, and he saw no trace of the sadness she had displayed not long ago. The expression in her features told him that she wanted him to touch her, to make sure she wasn't dreaming, but also, her fear held her tongue from saying so. Vergil could see the dilemma pass through her mind, almost as if he were experiencing it as well.

He slowly reached a hand to her cheek, hesitating to see if she would back away.

She did not.

Andorra placed her cheek into the gloved palm and closed her eyes, a single tear spilling from beneath her long eyelashes.

"I should be angry with you." Her words were a whisper in the silence. "Livid, enraged."

"I would deserve it for what I've done to you." He replied just as quietly. "But I've made a promise to never hurt you again, and I am greatly sorry for what happened that night. I was…not- I was not myself."

She flinched at the mention of the incident.

"I'd rather not talk about it now." She said, turning back to the window. "Looks like Dante's back; good, I need some target practice."

"Dammit! Stop shooting me!" Dante yelled as another heated slug slammed into his belly. Andorra held her still smoking pistol at arm's length, but removed her finger from the trigger.

"You have one minute to start explaining." She growled, her hair flowing from the power she was radiating. "Why did you lie to me? Do you know that you put me in unnecessary danger, and had anything happened to me, you would be in extremely deep shit? You can't just lie to royalty and lead them on a wild goose chase! the council would force me to make you an outlaw, hunting you for sport, is that what you want?"

The red-clad devil smirked as he pulled the last bullet from his ribcage, then cringed as the wound began to burn slightly. "Like they have a chance against me." He said sarcastically. "Jeez, what the hell is in those bullets?"

"Blessed silver with Holy Water tips. You'll burn for a while before you start to heal, go clean it out with some alcohol, the last thing we need is you with an infection for me to tend to."

"Fuck. You're crazy, y'know?" Dante said before turning towards the stairs."

"I have to deal with you, you expect me to keep my sanity?" She retorted. "Go before I shoot you again."

Vergil gave a small smile as he watched his twin hobble away to find some alcohol. "I thought you were tougher than that 'Te?"

"Shut up!" Dante called down.

Andorra fired a warning shot at Dante's back, missing him by a hair. "My patience is thin Dante, and we are not done with our discussion." She warned.

"You seem more trigger happy nowadays." Vergil remarked.

"Feeling left out?" She asked, putting the pistol in the holster.

"No. I'm just saying you used to not use Dante as target practice, did he finally get to you?" The elder twin replied.

"For this stunt he pulled, that's just a warning. I wasn't kidding what I said about the council. If they find out I was pulled out on a bogus mission…" She trailed off.

"They won't, there is a meeting tomorrow, just as he said. You are still on a legitimate mission." Vergil said.

"Good, that's one worry off my mind."

Andorra sat down on the couch nearest the fire, her purple orbs staring into the orange and yellow flames. Her mind began to wander, trying to pull her back into the past, to all those painful memories, but she stopped it. Right now she didn't want to hurt, she just wanted to try and understand things.

Six years had passed since the last council meeting had been called, and now she wondered what kind of demon had warranted so much attention. Usually, if the offender had to be brought before the council, they almost always died. Sometimes she would show mercy and let them live, only to serve her in the Underworld for eternity. For many, this was a fate worse than death.

"Babe, it still burns." Dante said as he appeared at the top of the stairs.

"They should be healing pretty soon, since you washed any trace of the water off with alcohol, although you may still have a little bit of silver embedded. Did you bandage it up?" Andorra asked.

"No." He replied. "You were always best at that."

Andorra smiled slightly. "Vergil, would you find me a first aid kit please?"

The blue-clad demon left the room, and Andorra motioned Dante to the couch. "Shirt off." She directed.

"Anything to see me shirtless, huh?" The demon smirked at her, removing his trademark red jacket and black buckled shirt. The wound in his side wasn't large, but it did go pretty deep.

"You did get all the bullets out right?" She asked.

"No, I left them in because I love pain, what do you think?"

Andorra glared at Dante as he stood before her.

"Damn I'd forgotten how tall you are." She said, having to look up at him. "Both of you."

"Hey, you're no midget yourself." He replied.

"Compared to you, I feel like one. You definitely do not help a girl's self-esteem."

"Not part of the job, even if you are the Queen."

"Ha ha." She laughed dryly as Vergil strode back into the room with a first-aid kit in tow. "Ah, thank you."

She took the box from him, trying not to touch his outstretched fingers in the process. She failed, and a jolt of electricity hummed through her blood as she opened the box. Inside she found a devil star, some antiseptic, and a large roll of medical gauze.

"Perfect. Here." She handed Dante the devil star. "Don't drink it; put a few drops on the wound, it won't heal completely just yet though."

"Damn you and your bullets woman." He muttered as he cracked the star open and did as she directed.

Vergil merely stood back and watched as Andorra sprayed the antiseptic into his brother's skin.

"Fuck! Would it kill you to warn me before you do that?"

Vergil chuckled to himself as Dante fixed an angry glare in his direction. "Shut up, Vergil."

"Stop moving!" Andorra said. "More of the devil star on it, now."

"Y'know, I'm beginning to debate your medical skills Andorra. By the way, do I have to keep calling you that, or can I call you by your old name?"

"You can call me what you like, as long as in front of the council-"

"Yeah, yeah. Your Majesty, My Liege…all the royal crap. Good, it'll be easier to remember Ailie instead of Andorra." Dante replied.

"I've always preferred her birth name." Vergil piped in.

"And you're the only one." Ailie/Andorra said as she unrolled the gauze. "The only reason I use it now is because that's the way the demons know me, and they refuse to accept Ailie because it was not my birth name. Arms up Dante."

She began to wrap the gauze around Dante's torso, quickly finishing as she taped and pinned it into place. "There you go, all done. Should be healed up by afternoon."

"Oh shit!" Dante said. "You have a council meeting in a few hours, we need to go, we can take the motorbikes. Shit, can you ride one or still no?"

"Dante, calm down." Vergil said. "We will make it in time."

"I know how to drive Dante, I just never liked to, is all. Now, let's just hurry up."

"Slight problem, only got two, so you gonna have to double with one of us." Dante said.

"I don't see that it matters at the moment," Ailie said, grabbing her cloak from the back of an armchair before looking at the Sparda twins. "Nor do I care which of you drives me, fight it amongst yourselves, I will be outside."

She was unsurprised to see Vergil strolling towards her. She was already seated on one bike, waiting patiently as he stood beside her. She scooted back so he could sit, and tried not to think as she wrapped her arms around him. The bike roared to life and they shot off across the snow at breakneck speed. Ailie kept her head bent behind Vergil's back, her hair whipping violently behind her. She closed her eyes to keep them from freezing, and fell asleep almost instantly.

Ailie could feel the bike slowing down, and lifted her head. They were entering a town and had to obey the speed limit. She realized they were within the borders of Delta City, and that meant the area would be crawling with royal guards to protect not only her safety, but the other council members as well.

She craned her neck to see shadows stalking along the rooftops, following the direction of the motorbike as they passed.

"Great, the royal babysitters are here." She murmured to herself.

"They are there for your protection." Vergil replied.

Yes. They should also know that I survived for years on my own without their help or protection. A little less coverage is all I ask sometimes. It feels as if I cannot go into the human world without their presence being felt. I _know_ they are there all the time, I just don't want to sense it, you know?" She clarified.

"Understandable. Maybe they look after you so thoroughly because you are alone most of the time. Perhaps is you had a companion around who could look after you if trouble arises, then they may leave you alone."

"Applying for the job are you?" She asked sarcastically. "Sorry, my sarcasm gets the better of me sometimes. I'm not trying to sound like a total bitch."

Vergil merely nodded his head, the silvery locks catching the early afternoon sun.

"I wonder time it is…" she thought aloud, knowing her would tell her anyways.

"Around 2:30."

"Council meeting doesn't start until 5:30, we have some time to kill." Ailie said, her eyes scanning the buildings they passed. "Should be enough time to find a hotel room for after the meeting is over."

"They allow such a thing?" Vergil asked, slightly shocked.

"What?"

"You staying in a common hotel room instead of-"

"One, no one knows what I look like until I get there, my council appearance is different than the one I'm in now. One of the powers that manifested when I accepted my royal bloodline was to be a Changeling. I can alter my appearance at will, and I always do so at every council meeting, although the last one was fifteen years ago. And two, no one ever challenges what I do or say, except for Dante, he's a pain in the ass."

"Yes, but are you unafraid of someone finding you're location and attempting to assassinate you while you sleep?" Vergil sounded genuinely worried.

"No, especially since you will accompany me." Her words hung in the air as they stopped at a red light. "Isn't it what you wanted, after all? For things to go back the way they were, or at least something along those lines?"

She noticed as Vergil's hand tightened on the handle bar of the bike before loosening again. "You still seem neutral about the whole thing. I am following your lead." He replied slowly. "I will not force myself back into your life, nor in any other way. I would like to be a part of it again, but you are still in pain from-"

"Stop." She said her voice low and commanding. Vergil wanted to say something else, but found her could not. His mouth would not move, and he felt a strange tingling surround him. "I have told you, I do not want to discuss that right now, or ever for that matter."

Vergil felt the hold on him lessen, but said nothing.

"Up ahead, there's a hotel," she directed, pointing a little to the west of them. "Pull in there, and I'll register for the night."

"Ok, ma'am that will be one room for the night, full-size bed, no mini-bar. Total will be $98.98." The hotel clerk said gruffly.

Ailie handed the rather portly man behind the desk her credit card. He looked at it a moment too long before looking at her again. "I'll need to see your I.D. ma'am."

Ailie sighed. "Right, I keep forgetting to change that." She produced her driver's license, showing the man what he needed to see.

"Thank you. Credit or debit?"

"Credit please." She replied.

She waited patiently as the man typed in the information, frowning slightly as her card was approved.

"Here you go." He said, handing her back the plastic card. "Have a nice stay, here is your room key."

"Thank you. I will need a safe place for my friend to park his motorbike, he's rather fond of it. " She answered, gesturing to Vergil, who stood in the hall a few feet behind her.

"Yes, ma'am, I will have someone escort him to the rear lot." The clerk said before picking up the desk phone.

Ailie turned to Vergil, who shifted as she approached.

"Room 212, I'll be there when you park the bike. I will be getting ready for the meeting tonight. But first, a long shower is in order." She said in passing.

"Alone, I'm sure." Vergil called to her retreating back.

"That depends, I haven't decided yet. Maybe is you are rather quick in parking…" He could not hear the rest as she trailed off around a corner.

_That woman is even more baffling than she used to be. One minute she is happy, the next she is not. Maybe I should just avoid bringing up that night until-_

A voice interrupted his thoughts.

"I'm here to escort you to the rear lot. You are the man with the bike yes?"

Vergil turned to see an adolescent teenager with a small complexion issue looking up at him.

"Yes."

"My name is Jack," The boy said, extending his hand. Vergil took it and shook it. "If you'll just follow me, please."

Meanwhile, in the fairly spacious room, Ailie looked out from the window, smiling slightly as she watched Vergil follow a rather thin boy to the rear lot with the motorbike in tow. He parked it, and then thanked the boy, who turned and left with a smile and a wave. Vergil looked up and caught her eye before teleporting directly behind her.

"Lazy." She accused

"Efficient." He countered and she smiled.

Ailie backed away from the window, drawing the shades. "Ah, all that snow and sun is hell on the eyes." She said, gently rubbing the amethyst orbs with her hands. Just then her cell phone rang. She opened it to answer and a cloud of purple-black smoke enveloped the room.

"My dearest Queen Andorra," a disembodied voice called from within the smoke. "It is a pleasure to hear you have arrived safely; I assume your contact last night was helpful?"

"Yes, and I have a request on his behalf, I would like him, or anyone affiliated with him, to be my contact from now on." She replied, a regal note in her voice.

"We will discuss that at the meeting. That is why I am calling, we regrettably had to reschedule, and the council will not be tonight." The voice continued. "Instead it has been set for tomorrow at midnight."

"I understand, the snow is probably stalling our usual means of transportation, therefore some of our members will not arrive in time for tonight." She replied.

"Yes." The smoky voice replied. "I must leave now."

"'Til the 'morrow good sir." She said, bowing her head in respect.

"'Til the 'morrow my Queen." And with that, the smoke and the voice were gone.

"I should have seen that coming." She sighed, and closed her phone. "Well, at least I get a chance to rest, since last night was rather eventful."

Vergil smiled at the memory of her chucking a chair at him.


	3. Complications

**Chapter Three**

Ailie let the warm water pound down on her back as she stood against the ceramic walls of the small shower. Steam curled upward as the water fell downwards, the mirrors and glass shower door misting until she became nothing more than a blurred outline from the outside. She let her hair out of its long ponytail, the length falling down her back until it reached her waist.

Her amethyst eyes closed as the water began to pour onto her hair, relaxing her muscles and her nerves. She bathed quickly, hoping to get some sleep before Dante and the others showed up. The water shut off and she exited the shower, wrapping a dark grey towel around her body, never noticing the blue devil leaning against the sink top until she almost ran into him.

"What the hell?" Ailie exclaimed, backing away in surprise. "Why are you in here?"

"Is it not obvious?" He questioned, and Ailie noticed he was naked from the waist up.

"Crazy bastard, that isn't happening." She said, stepping around him.

"I beg to differ." He said, grabbing her arm lightly. She whipped her head around to look at him, and regretted it. When their eyes met, a fire began to burn in her belly; a fire that she thought had been extinguished long ago.

Vergil reached a hand out to trail along her long hair, his fingers gliding over the shining tresses.

"Please, don't." She begged, her voice hollow.

"Why do you insist on pushing me away?" He asked suddenly, temper flaring. "Why is it so hard for you to understand what is going on? You know I cannot hurt you again, you saw to that quite effectively I might add."

"Don't!" She cried, her eyes spilling tears freely. "Don't you dare! You have no idea what it felt like! You just walked away, like everything we had meant nothing to you, and I'm pretty sure in that moment, it didn't! You have no idea the torment you have put me through all these years. It may be easy to forgive, Vergil Sparda, but it is a hell of a lot harder to forget!"

She was trying to control herself, but was finding it monumentally difficult.

"You weren't around; you didn't have anything to feel. You probably don't even remember, you're just going off of what Dante and the others have said. I've had 43 years of this, how long has it been since you regained your memory? And what if you get another blow to the head? I'm not going to risk that happening again."

Her resolve was breaking, and she began to curl her hands into fists, tears spilling from her eyes like mini-rivers.

"Andorra-"He wrapped his arms around her, cradling her head against his chest. She broke in his embrace, her soft cries turning into body wracking sobs. Her slender shoulders heaved, and he could feel her tears as they fell upon his black shirt. The hands she'd fisted now rested lightly around his waist, just below the small of his back.

When her cries had begun to subside to hiccupping coughs, he lifted her into his arms, striding to the large bed in the room. He laid her down, and went to stand, but she stopped him. "Don't go." Her plea was quiet, almost inaudible. He nodded before slipping in the bed next to her, throwing the ivory colored sheet over her.

Ailie nudged closer until her body was pressed gently against his. He curled one arm over her protectively, and she did not flinch away.

"I'm sorry." She started to say. "I shouldn't have said those things to you, I was-"

"Stop apologizing." He said. "It's rather tiresome. I know how you feel, or did you forget we did have ten years together?"

Ailie sighed but said nothing.

A knock at the door, caused Vergil to call out. "Who is it?"

"The Easter Bunny. It's me Vergil." Dante's voice sounded muffled from the other side of the door.

Vergil looked at Ailie, but she was gone, and the bathroom door was closed.

"Come in, Dante." He called, standing to put his shirt on and make the bed.

Dante walked in, closely followed by Lady, the only human; Trish, a demon who had been made in his mother's image by Mundus; Lucia, another fabricated demon; and Nero, Vergil's son.

"So, no meeting tonight, huh?" Dante asked, throwing himself onto one of the rooms couches.

"Correct." Vergil said, exiting the room. Dante's eyebrows rose slightly, to which Vergil shook his head.

"So now what do we do?" Trish asked staring out of the window at the city, no doubt looking for a mall. Vergil repressed a growl as the she demon moved away from the window. They had a history, and he was none too happy about it.

"I suppose we could just relax." Lady said, propping her missile launcher, Kalina Ann, against the wall, being sure the bayonet did not scratch the wall. She took her sunglasses, revealing her bi-colored eyes. Blue for the left, red for the right. "We have no way for anyone to get in touch with us for jobs."

"Or get in touch with us period, for that matter." Nero said, leaning against the door as it closed.

"Ah kid, don't be so down since you haven't seen Kyrie in almost a week." Dante said, propping his feet on the coffee table.

"Shut up, old man." The white-haired youth said, reaching for his double-barreled revolver, Blue Rose.

"No guns or you sleep outside." Ailie said as she stepped into the room, wearing a dark green long-sleeved shirt over dark grey jeans with a pair of black boots. Her long hair was braided, reaching only to her mid-back instead of her waist her bangs sweeping across her brow. The white streaks seemed even more pronounced now than before.

Lucia strode up to Ailie, bowing her head before placing her right hand over her heart. "It is good to see you again, Ailie…my Queen."

"Please, no formalities Lucia." Ailie said. "Though it is good to see you again, to see you all again." She said, addressing the group in front of her.

Trish came up and gave her hug before jumping away. "There's no law against touching you is there?"

Ailie smiled widely, genuinely happy for the first time in years. "No."

Trish hugged her again, tighter this time. When she let go, Lady came up and hugged her as well.

"Well this is out of character." Ailie said. "No offense but how are you still so young?"

"I have been made a demon myself, only because I was tired of being tired all the time." She replied, stepping back to her weapon

"Well, then it seems we have no humans left, unless Kyrie is unchanged?" Ailie said, looking over at Nero.

"No, she is no demon, but she is affected by demon blood." He replied

"Ah, I see. So every now and then, a little blood and she is young and vibrant again, still human, but immortal all the same."

"Pretty much," he said, running his fingers through his hair before it fell into his face again. "So, what do we do now?"

"First, we check everyone in." Ailie said.

Once everyone had their rooms and were settled in, they all convened back into Ailie's room. Dante promptly resumed his spot on the couch, while everyone else settled into the other various furniture throughout the room.

"Would anyone happen to know what demon is being brought before the council tomorrow?" Ailie asked, leaning against the wall closest to the window. "That way I'm not going in completely blind?"

"No clue babe." Dante said, flipping through a magazine he'd found.

Everyone else shook their heads.

"Damn."

"Are you not supposed to be ignorant, so as not to be biased in your judgment?" Vergil asked.

Ailie fixed him a cool, level stare. "Shut up."

"Glad to see you two are getting along." Nero said sarcastically.

"You can shut up too." She said, fixing her gaze on him.

"Holy hell!" Nero exclaimed, finally seeing the change. "What's with your eyes?"

"The color manifested when I was proclaimed Queen." She replied.

"Speaking of which," Dante said, flipping the magazine closed. "What else did you get when you became royal? Any perks?"

Ailie gave a mischievous smile before Dante found himself on the floor, his skin feeling as if it were on fire as electricity coursed through his blood. His body jerked, but he kept his mouth closed.

She released her hold on him, and he launched himself at her, but stopped inches from her face.

"You want another dose?" She asked. "Or would you prefer my bullets again?"

Dante growled in response. "Please stop using me as target practice, or as examples."

"No problem, I believe I'm done collecting my debt." She said, sidestepping him.

Lady and Trish began to laugh raucously, the idea of Dante being injured to collect a debt too much for them to handle.

"That's a very good idea!" Trish said.

"Agreed." Lady said. "Can't wait to try it out."

Dante turned to fix each woman a hard stare before throwing himself back onto the couch.

Vergil smiled at the thought of his brother speechless.

"I am going out." Lucia said. "I have to find some way to contact Matier, let her know all is well."

"I'm going with you." Nero said, following the red head out the door.

"May as well check out the sights." Lady said, shouldering Kalina Ann. "Trish, you coming?"

"Yeah, there's got to be a mall here somewhere." The blonde replied, giving Dante an evil wink.

"Not with my credit card you're not!" The red devil hunter said, following the two women out, leaving Ailie and Vergil alone again.

Ailie sat down in one of the rooms' chairs, and sighed.

"It's going to be a long conference." She said, putting her face in her hands.

"What could possibly give you that idea?" Vergil asked sardonically, sitting next to her.

She sighed again and lifted her head, her face drawn and tired.

"Andorra, get some rest. I'll make sure no one bothers you." He said, putting his coat on again, but stopped when he felt a hand on his arm.

"Don't go." She pleaded. "I don't think I can take being alone right now, even for a little while. I'm afraid that if I go to sleep, I'll wake up, and this will all have been a dream."

Vergil sat down again, cupping her face in his hand. She placed her cheek against it, closing her eyes as she wrapped her hand around his.

"I know you must get tired of hearing me repeat myself," she said. "I'm sorry for doing so, it's just that- well, I don't know how to proceed." She opened her eyes again, a light flush creeping into her cheeks. "That's why it seems as if my attitude is changing so dramatically."

"I figured as much, but why did you not say anything before now?"

This time she leveled her purple gaze directly into his cerulean eyes. "Isn't it obvious?" She asked, standing. "When have I even been able to talk about how I feel and not feel like a complete idiot?"

"You're not an idiot." He said.

"I know it's just hard not to feel like one because I can't say what is truly on my mind when I need to. If I just had my telepathy powers working at full-force, it'd be so much easier!" She exclaimed, punching the wall and leaving a rather deep hole.

"Crap." She said, extracting her hand from the sheetrock, her knuckles bloody from having made contact with the stud in the wall. "That hurt more than I intended."

"Since when are you the one to punch inanimate objects?" He asked, standing to meet her.

"Since they don't hit back." She replied shaking her hand to remove the wall dust as the wound began to knit itself back together.

"Rather foolish don't you think?"

"It calms me when I get frustrated." Ailie said, massaging the hand she had just injured a she turned to move the blinds from in front of the window. The sun was beginning to go down, painting the landscape outside in golden streams.

Vergil came up behind her, putting a hand gently on her shoulder. "And how often do you get frustrated?"

"Not very. When all you do is stay alone hidden in the catacombs of the Underworld, you have no frustrations or worries."

"The catacombs?" Vergil asked, surprised she would stay there. "Why do you stay there?"

"Once I became Queen, I tried everything I could to find you, hoping maybe I could use my new-found powers to sway you away from your mad quest for power. I came close, but unfortunately I was just a tad too late, you had already left your position. I tried to locate you again, but there was no trail to follow, but I never gave up. The only time I would stop looking was for a council meeting. Save for the last five years, when I gave up any hope of ever finding you again.

"I was beginning to go mad, and so I abandoned my search to preserve my sanity, or what was left of it at the time. It has slowly become whole again, but I am still in a fragile state. Again, that is part of the reason for my attitude changes."

_She never stopped searching, she even almost succeeded._ Vergil fixed his gaze on the woman before him, regret gripping him as he realized the extent of the damage he had caused her. Maybe the white in her hair was not from her family as she had been saying. Perhaps it was a sign of the stress she had been under.

Vergil reached, brushing the hair from her shoulder.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"It's not like you knew what you were doing," she replied, putting her hand in top of his. "Amnesia has a funny way of screwing up one's priorities."

"That does not make things better. If anything, it makes things worse, because I have no idea what happened aside from what has been told to me, and truthfully, I don't know what I'm apologizing for."

"I know that Vergil. That's part of the reason why I'm so civil, instead of the woman scorned I should be."

A long silence passed between them, during which Ailie tried to read his mind, but to no avail. Her powers were waxing, and he had his guard up. She knew this would be her last council meeting as Queen. Soon it would be time to name a successor, and she had no idea what candidates the council would choose for her to consider.

"Andorra," He said slowly. "Tell me what happened."

"Huh?" She turned to face him, eyes wide with confusion.

"Tell me what happened after that night." He said again.

Ailie seemed to struggle with her answer before saying defiantly. "No."

"It would help-"

"No, Vergil it would not help. Not now, not with a council meeting so close, it would most definitely not help me right now." She said strongly, her power beginning to fill the room. "And it would not help you."

Ignoring his instinct to stay silent he told her this. "Running from this will not solve anything."

With no warning, Vergil found himself placed against the wall, the familiar tingling in his body that meant she had control. She stood in front of him, looking up into his gaze, her amethyst eyes narrowed slightly. "Do not speak of what you do not know."

"I do not want to have this conversation again," She said, walking towards the door. "At least not until the council is disbanded." She walked out of the room, slamming the door. When the lock clicked, Vergil felt her power disappear and he regained control of his body.

"_This is going to be much harder than I thought."_

Ailie hotwired the bike Vergil had parked in the back, starting the engine with a roar before tearing off into the city. The wind whipped her hair out behind her as she sped through the mostly empty streets, catching glimpses of people as she passed. She eventually reached the edge of the city and sped out into the snow, ignoring the frigid winds that whipped at her face.

Night had completely fallen, and Ailie had still not returned.

"Damn it!" Dante said. "Just what I need now, the Queen to get herself lost or hurt. If anything happened to her, the council is going skewer me-"

"Oh stop it." Vergil said. "It's not your fault she disappeared, it's mine."

"That's not going to matter to the council," Dante said. "I was the one they sent for her, so if she does not arrive on time, or in less than perfect condition, _I'm_ the one that has to suffer." Dante's voice was strained.

"What are we supposed to do?" Lucia asked, her soft eyes worried. "She has not slept in two days, and she is susceptible to the cold. We do not even know what direction she may have travelled in-"

"Lucia's words were cut off as the roar of an engine was heard in the distance. Nero went to the window to see if it was Ailie or not, but all he could see was a single headlight heading towards the hotel. "I think it's her." He said.

They all waited patiently as the headlight turned into the parking lot, slowing to pull into an available area. The orange security lamp illuminated Ailie's small figure as she dismounted the bike before disappearing into the shadows leading to the entrance.

"Yeah, she's back." Nero said moving away from the window.

"Maybe she just needed some alone time." Lady offered, shifting into a more comfortable position on the couch.

"Whatever the reason," Dante said, holstering his twin guns, Ebony and Ivory, "She's going to get an earful when she walks through that door.

"Not tonight I am not."

The entire room turned to see her standing in the doorway.

"Bullshit." Dante said, walking up to her until his face was inches from hers. "I don't care that you're the Queen, or that you can use your powers to do whatever you like to me, you shouldn't have gone off on your own like that."

"Dante, move." She said in a threatening tone.

"No, not until you listen." He said.

Ailie sighed. "Dante if you want to bitch at me fine, but can it wait until I report some rather unsettling news?"

"What news?" Dante asked.

"The council is no more." She stated slowly. "I tried to contact my fellow members, but I got no response. I tried to teleport to their current locations, but the ones I managed to lock onto were slaughtered. All nine members are dead, I am the last."

The room fell silent.

"That's not all." Ailie said, her hands balling into fists. "I have reason to believe that whoever murdered my colleagues is on his way here as we speak."

"Who would do such a thing?" Lucia asked, shocked.

"Why?" Trish asked.

"I can answer your question Trish." Ailie said. "It's because my time as Queen is coming to an end, and it is time to name a successor. The council was supposed to present qualified candidates for me to choose from tomorrow, but now, with no meeting tomorrow there will be no candidates."

"Wait," Lady said. "You aren't going to be Queen anymore?"

"No." Ailie said.

"Why not?"

"Because there is no heir from my bloodline, so we have to choose another from an equally powerful bloodline." Ailie said sadness in her amethyst eyes. "And it looks like someone wants to rule out the competition. And if that happens then the demons will most likely be granted free access to and from the human world, and many people will die. We have to find out who this person is, and stop him."

"You are coming." Vergil stated.

Ailie sighed. "We don't have time to discuss this; did you not just hear me say that the murderer is on his way _here_?"

Suddenly an explosion rocked the tiny room, and a gaping hole appeared in the wall.

As everyone shook the wall dust off of them, a loud booming voice was heard from outside.

"Queen Andorra, I know you are in there, come out where I can see you!"

"That's Bakumut!" Ailie hissed quietly. "Oh shit, we're dealing with a murderous dragon, how frickin' wonderful is that?"

"If you do not come out, then you will forcibly removed by-"

"Hey!" Ailie called out, standing to her feet as she approached the hole in the wall. "Hang on a second, at least give me a chance to walk to where you can see me, Bakumut."

The dragon she now looked upon was easily one hundred feet long and three stories high, with long sharp claws and wickedly curved teeth set in a huge jaw. The scales on his reptilian body glistened sliver in the moonlight while his golden eyes glinted dangerously in the dark. The huge scaly wings were resting against his spiked back which ended in a long, spiked tail that doubled as a club when needed.

"Ah, Queen Andorra." The great beast growled. "How nice to finally meet you. If I may introduce myself properly, I am King Bakumut of the Mountain Dragons of the Roxul Mountains."

_"King?" _Ailie thought to herself. _"I thought Jazeen was the king. If that's true, then this cannot end well."_

"I thought Jazeen was King?" She asked, silently signaling for the group behind her to leave the room.

"Regrettably, Jazeen has passed on." Bakumut replied, a slight tint of pride in his voice.

"That is regrettable." Ailie agreed. "I do believe I missed the announcement for his burial and your coronation. Though it was my understanding that Jazeen's daughter, Lazuk, was to be named King, or Queen, I'm not familiar with the dragon monarchy."

"Lazuk was unfit to lead the dragons!" Bakumut said heatedly. "No female sould ever be in a position of power."

"You mean just for the dragons right?" She asked, bravely stepping closer to the dragon. "Because surely your comment can't be aimed at myself too, no?"

Bakumut laughed, a low grating sound deep in his throat.

"I mean ever. I am here to take over your rule as Master of all demon kind. For too long we have been separated from each other, it is time for the dragons and demons to live as one again. Andorra, give up your position freely and you will be spared an untimely death."

"And I refuse?" She asked daringly.

"Then you will die." The reply was simple.

Ailie pretended to think for a moment. "Hmm, let me think. This is going to be a tough decision…"

"Choose carefully, little woman, you may regret the words you speak next."

"A dragon who threatens the Queen, I suppose I'll answer this way then-"

Suddenly, Ailie lifted her hands to the sky and the night air became alive with static electricity moments before bolts of blue-white lightning began to descend from the heavens.

"You will regret this!" Bakumut roared just before he was struck across the head with a rather large bolt.

"Now!" Ailie called to her comrades just before she teleported them away to a safer place.


	4. Catacombs

**Okay, just to let you know, sex is involved in this chapter, just a warning...;)**

**Chapter Four**

"Welcome to the catacombs." Ailie gestured around her as the group recovered from her spell. "I know I said earlier they were not safe, but that was before I knew we were dealing with a dragon. The dragons are forbidden from coming here, to do so would be their death."

"So what do we do now?" Dante asked. "Just hide here?"

"You can do whatever you want." Ailie said. "I need to stay here until I can figure out what to do about the giant dragon that wants me dead. I need some sort of attack plan, but I need to know the dragon's weakness. I need to get in touch with Lazuk, but doing so would require me to travel to the Roxul Mountains, and I'm no fool to charge into enemy territory."

"What about if someone went on your behalf?" Nero asked.

"Going in through the front door won't work." She replied. "Whoever went would have to locate Lazuk first, and then find an alternative way into the mountains. I'm not sure if she is even alive or not, and if she is, Bakumut probably had her imprisoned to keep her from interfering."

"How would you find her?" Dante asked.

"I'd have to search for her telepathically, and that could take a while; also, while I'm searching for her, I will not be inside my body, so someone would have to be here so I can return. If I return and my body is not where it was originally, I will stay in astral form until I can find it again. And if my body is killed, I will be a spirit forever." She replied.

"Well, we got time; would you be able to do it here?" Trish asked.

"I could, but I do not have any of my supplies. Thankfully, my home is not far from here, so it should be relatively easy and quick to find them." Ailie answered, striding off into a nearby dark corridor.

"Is it a good idea for you to wander off on your own?" Vergil asked after her. "Did you forget a dragon is trying to kill you?"

"He can't enter the catacombs." She said. "But if you are concerned for my safety, perhaps an escort is in order?" She continued down the corridor.

"I suppose we could go." Lady said, indicating herself, Trish and Lucia.

Lucia nodded as Trish followed Ailie.

"Wait up!"

When the women had disappeared into the shadows, Vergil sighed and leaned against a nearby wall. "That woman-"

"Frustrated?" Dante asked, putting the tip of Rebellion against the floor of the cave and resting his elbows on it.

"Very much so." Vergil replied. "It seems she is never happy, or tired for that matter."

"She's only acting so weird because she hasn't slept in almost three days. Watch out when it finally hits her, she'll act much different."

"And how do you know?" Nero asked. "It isn't like any of us have seen her in the last forty years. So how do we know she'll act the same?"

"Ah kid," Dante said. "Ailie's never gonna change. She's just putting up a good front because she's had a lot to deal with lately."

"Again, how do you know?"

"Dante is not as dense as he may appear to be at times." Vergil answered. "He can be quite…perceptive when he wants to be. He's right about Andorra though, she is under stress at the moment. Regardless, she needs to rest."

Dante snorted. "Ha, try telling her that, especially before she wants to look for that dragon friend of hers. That'll go over well."

"Shut up Dante."

Nero chuckled to himself.

"Whatever," Dante said. "I'm going look around for a bit." He shouldered Rebellion before walking off down a different corridor than the women had taken.

"Never did like being wrong." Vergil said, watching his brother's retreating back before sighing again and closing his eyes.

"Got that right." Nero agreed. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Why not."

"What do you see in her? Ailie I mean."

Vergil opened his eyes and fixed them on his son. "What do you mean?"

"What made you fall in love with her?"

"Why do you want to know that?"

"I'm just curious is all." Nero said. "You don't have to say if you don't want to."

"I would prefer not to." Vergil answered, closing his eyes once again.

Nero shrugged his shoulders before deciding to go for walk himself.

"Later." He called to the still form of his father.

Vergil grunted a reply and was silent again.

"So what are we looking for?" Lucia asked when they had reached the place Ailie called home when she was in the Underworld.

"Candles, salt, a box of matches. If you three could find those for me, I have to find the tome that has the correct spell."

"Sure." The trio replied as Ailie ascended her staircase.

She reached the hallway, and went to the door located all the way at the end to the right. Opening the large oaken door, she stepped into her study, and began to rummage through the boxes of books she had accumulated over the years.

After several minutes, she found the one she needed, and blew the dust off of it before opening the cracked leather cover. The pages were slightly yellowed, but still readable; the demon language as familiar to her as if she had known it all her life. She closed the book again, sending a small puff of dust into the stale air.

"Hmm, maybe I should return more often so I can clean the place." She said to herself. "It's been awhile since I've done so."

She exited the study, closing the door behind her before making her way to the stairs. As she descended, she could hear the other demons rustling around as they looked for the supplies.

"Ha!" She heard Trish call out triumphantly. "I found matches!" The blonde held the small box above her head.

"It's not a contest!" Lady said, secretly miffed Trish had found something first.

"I can't find anything." Lucia said.

"That's the washroom!" Trish said, laughing. "C'mon let's try the kitchen."

"Aha, here's some salt." Lady said, picking up a small blue bag. "No, that's sugar. Salt's in a can."

"Finding everything?" Ailie asked, knowing the answer.

"Not quite." Lucia answered, moving a strand of her crimson hair away from her face. "We have the matches, but cannot find the salt and candles."

"Try the drawer by the sink." Ailie said, pointing just behind Lady.

Lady opened the drawer to find four long tapered candles. "Is this enough?" She asked.

"Yeah, as for the salt, Lucia, try that door behind you."

The she-demon turned to open the small cupboard, and found a small canister of iodized salt. "Ah, salt."

"Well ladies, that's all the supplies, let's head back to the antechamber. Hopefully the men won't have gotten lost."

"Ha!" Trish laughed. "Don't forget, Dante _is_ in the group.

"True." Ailie replied with a smile as they stepped out of the small home.

"And knowing Vergil, he won't have moved from where we left him." Lady said, adjusting Kalina Ann on her back.

"What of Nero?" Lucia asked.

"Got me there." Lady said. "There's no telling with him."

"Got that right." Trish agreed. "I find it hard to believe at times that he's Vergil's son.

"I know." Lady said. "You know what I think-"

Ailie pulled her thoughts away from the conversation, staying within her own subconscious as they walked along the darkened corridor with its towering walls and many openings. Some were filled with bodies of the dead, while others lay empty, awaiting the day they would be the final resting place for a royal demon or demoness. Ailie retreated further within herself, eventually resurfacing memories she had long forgotten.

She was sixteen again, and her family had thrown her a surprise party, during which her father had passed his beloved gun, Black Death, down to her.

_'Now Andorra' _she heard his voice echo. _'This gun has been passed down to the eldest member of our family for generations. It has been modified over the years as parts become hard to find, but its function and meaning are still the same. In this day and age, you are now a young woman, worthy of carrying on the family legacy and crest. I present to you your coming-of-age gift, my beloved companion in many battles, my pistol, Black Death.'_

Andorra then, Ailie now, had taken the gleaming firearm from her father, gently tracing the weapon's name with her fingers. She had promised to treasure it always, until it was her time to pass it on. She had no idea then that this would be the last time she would see her family alive again.

Then her mother had given her another gift, one she knew her daughter had been wanting for as long as Ailie could remember.

Her Sais.

Ailie had felt love swell in her heart as her mother handed her the weapons. _'I know you have been fascinated with these since you could walk, so I decided if you were old enough for a gun, then you could handle these as well. Along with this.'_

At that time, her mother had removed a hematite ring from her ring finger and presented it to her daughter.

_'The color is that of my clan, of which I am the last." _Her mother had said. _"It is passed from mother to daughter when the daughter is old enough to leave home. I have passed it to you early, seeing as how you are more than capable to protect yourself."_

_ "Mother?" _A teenage Ailie had asked. _"What about the amulet around your neck?"_

Her mother had touched the silver stone around her neck. _"Your father had given it to me on our wedding night. It will be passed to you in time-"_

The memory faded, bringing Ailie to the present with the three women who had been her companions for years before these recent events.

"Ailie?" Lady asked, her bi-colored eyes concerned. "You okay?'

The Queen nodded. "why?"

"You seemed like you…weren't here."

"I wasn't, not mentally." Ailie replied. "I took a trip down memory lane, quite literally."

"Ah, well some part of you was here, because you managed to lead us back to the place we started from."

Ailie looked around to find they had indeed arrived back into the antechamber.

"Where's Dante and Nero?" Trish asked.

"Walking." Vergil replied as he emerged from the shadows. "They should be back shortly."

"I need them back soon." Ailie said, gathering the supplies from the women. "Like, before I finish the setup for the spell."

Vergil nodded and walked down the corridor he had seen Dante and Nero disappear into.

"Lucia go with him please." Ailie asked. "Your tracking skills would be of great help."

The demon nodded and hurried after the dark twin

After several minutes of walking, Vergil and Lucia had managed to find both Dante and Nero's scents, and followed the trails throughout the twists and turns of the labyrinthine catacombs.

"Do you think it's wise for her to perform this spell on such little sleep?" She asked.

"No, but you know as well as I that she will not listen to anyone." He replied.

"Not even to you?"

Vergil shook his head and sighed. "Not right now."

"She is still wary." Lucia deduced after a quick glance at his face.

"Yes. She is recovering from wounds that are deeper than anyone could have imagined, and they are mostly due to me."

"You cannot blame yourself alone for this."

"I don't." Vergil said. "It's also what she had done over the years during her reign. Her actions have nearly driven her to madness. And all in the pursuit of a way to end the pain while still living. Though her quest failed, she fell back onto her masochism."

Lucia said nothing while she let his words hang in the air.

"She never had a chance to heal completely from her family's death." She said. "And then losing the baby was a hard blow for her. Then shortly after, the knowledge she was to become Queen was weighing on her shoulders quite heavily. I helped her at times in her quest to search for you, but eventually we lost touch, and she lost hope when she learned she was losing her mind.

"I tried to comfort her, but it was not the same to her." Lucia finished.

"The baby." Vergil said. It was the first it had been mentioned aside from the incident concerning Ailie and himself. "So she did lose it…"

"You did not know?"

"Aside from the incident itself, it was never mentioned. I never thought to ask, because I had forgotten. I know it sounds horrible, but amnesia is a funny thing."

Lucia nodded. "I understand how you feel. When Arius cast me aside, I was gripped by amnesia because I had forgotten my services to him, and yet Matier raised me as her own. I still cannot remember what things I may have done while working for Arius."

Vergil sighed but kept walking.

"When I got hit in the head, I forgot all the good things that had happened to me since Andorra had entered my life. But when I came back from the darkness, I remembered the evil things I had done, and still I cannot recall every detail from before then. Aside from what has been told to me by Dante and Andorra herself, I know nothing aside from the fact that she was pregnant. I feel as if she is repulsed by this knowledge."

No." Lucia said. "She does not see you as a heartless person, merely a person who has strayed from his chosen path of light. She has already forgiven you in her heart, but she does not want to show it yet, because she is still wounded, and healing her will take quite a while. Do you think you are up to the challenge?"

Vergil's hand balled into fists at the question. "I don't know." He said. "I want nothing more than for her to be happy, but I don't know if I can."

Lucia said nothing, this time, letting him think about what he had said.

"I think we are close to Dante and Nero." She said after a few moments of silence. "The scent is getting stronger."

Vergil nodded, but stayed silent as they closed the distance between his brother and son and themselves.

"Vergil?"

"Yes, Lucia?"

"During this feud between her and the dragon, Ailie will rely heavily upon you for support and comfort. Be sure that you are there for her. You go back, I will find Dante and Nero" And with that, the woman was enveloped in a cloud of white feathers as she triggered to her demon form, flying off ahead of him.

Dumbfounded for a moment, Vergil regained his composure before sighing. He decided to heed the female warriors' words, and began to form an image of Ailie in his mind. When she was crystal clear, he closed his eyes, and teleported back to the antechamber, where Trish and Ailie were pouring over the old book while Lady was sleeping against the wall.

"Did you find them?" Trish asked as he opened his eyes again.

"Lucia has located them, so I returned here." He replied.

Trish sighed in relief before turning to converse with Ailie.

"So, what all do we need to do?"

"We need to make a design with the salt, but I can't remember what it is." Ailie said. "And I'm having a hard time finding it in the book." She was flipping through the yellowed pages carefully, so as not to tear them.

Vergil looked at the woman sitting on the floor of the cave, her back hunched as she continued to peruse the tome.

"Maybe you should rest before performing this spell." He suggested. "Let me find the insignia while-"

"No." Ailie said. "I appreciate your concern, but I won't be able to rest until I can find Luzak."

"You will risk your health for a reptile?" He asked, his temper flaring once again.

Ailie was on her feet in an instant, standing before him. "Luzak is not just some dragon to me. She is a long-time companion of my family, and a personal friend to me. If I can contact her, we may be able to rally some of the dragons and take down Bakumut with little to no effort on our part. Please do not disrespect her again."

"Ailie-" Trish began, but she was cut off as Lucia appeared from nowhere, with Dante and Nero in tow.

"We're back!" The red devil announced when he had landed, a smile on his handsome face.

"That was…discomforting." Nero said as he swayed slightly.

"Teleportation is not for everyone." Vergil said, slightly disappointed in his son.

"I'll say." Lady chimed in as she stood to her feet, brushing dust off of her. "When you two fight, could you do it a bit more quietly?" She asked, looking at both Ailie and Vergil.

Ailie said nothing as she turned back to flip through the weathered leather-clad book.

Lucia gave him a pointed look before shaking her head.

"Perhaps if the woman wasn't so stubborn," he growled before heading off by himself in the direction Ailie had gone when she had left for supplies.

"Hey!" Dante called after him. "We get back and you're going to leave? What the hell kind of welcome is that?"

"Let him go." Ailie said. "He'll come back when he's ready."

"You sure about that?" Lady asked, eyeing the blue twin as he was engulfed by the shadows. "No offense, but you know how he is. What if he decides to leave and not come back?"

A searing pain gripped Ailie's heart as she realized the very real possibility of this suggestion.

"Alright, fine." She said, handing the book to Lucia. "Try to find the illustration we need please."

Lucia nodded her head as Ailie hurried after Vergil.

"Vergil!" He heard his name called as he was leaning against one of the walls. He turned his head in the direction the voice had come from, and was slightly surprised to see Ailie appear from the darkness. Not surprised enough to greet her with open arms however as she approached even closer.

"What do you want?" He asked, his back turned to her.

"To apologize." She replied quietly. "I haven't been very civil since Bakumut threatened me, and I'm sorry."

"Why do you insist on running yourself through the wringer when you know that you do not have the strength for it?" He asked.

"Maybe we're more alike than we used to be." She replied, moving to stand in front of him.

"Picking up on another's bad habits is not good for you." He said, meeting her gaze.

"It certainly doesn't feel bad." She stepped forward to put a hand on his arm. "Maybe I could do with a good rest-" Her words were cut off as Vergil lifter her into his arms and kissed her softly.

"That was unexpected." She said breathily as he pulled away a few seconds later.

"So was your apology." He replied, gently running his fingers along her braided hair.

"Really?" She asked, a smirk beginning to form on her face. "Anything else I've done lately come unexpected to you?"

"Quite a few things come to mind…"

"Is this one of them?" She asked before kissing him again, pulling him to her in a passionate embrace as she tangled her long fingers in his silver hair. Ailie heard him growl low in his throat as she opened her mouth to let her tongue greet his. His snaked along hers, and she shivered with a warmth she had not felt in ages, hoping maybe this time she wouldn't screw it up as she had back at the hotel.

Once again Vergil lifted her into his arms before placing her back against the wall, her legs hooking around his waist. He deepened the kiss further, and he felt her shudder with delight and pleasure. His hands found their way under her shirt, caressing her soft, creamy skin. He could feel hers on his shoulders, pushing his coat off. He shrugged and it fell to the floor of the cave as her hands began to explore his skin.

. She pulled away to catch her breath as he pushed her shirt up over her breasts, revealing her black bra.

"Wait." She said. "I think we need to finish this somewhere a little more private."

"And just where would that be?" He asked, a little irritated she had just thougth of this _now_.

Suddenly, Vergil found himself falling onto a bed, with Ailie underneath him.

"What the-"

"Welcome home." She said, and he realized she had teleported them into the house they had once shared, and they were now in their old bedroom. The furniture needed dusting, but the bed looked as it did the day he'd left.

"How-?" He started to ask, but was cut off as Ailie removed her shirt, pants, and boots and jumped on the bed and under the covers.

"Coming?" She asked mischievously, a wicked smile playing on her features.

"Soon." He promised, removing his clothes as well before slipping in next to her.

He grabbed her and pulled her to him roughly, covering her body with his as he kissed her deeply, leaving her breathless. He then began to kiss his way down her body, starting with her neck. He nipped her gently at her collar bone and he felt her shiver under him. He trailed lower, stopping just above her bra.

He ripped the fabric down the middle and threw the scraps across the room.

"Hey!" She protested. "That was part of a set that cost me thirty bucks!"

"That explains why it tore so easily…" He teased before kissing her once more. Any argument she was going to say was erased as he rubbed his hands over her breasts, feeling the nipples pearl in his hands. He replaced one hand with his mouth, causing her to gasp sharply. His free hand made its way to her underwear, his fingers slipping just inside the thin fabric.

Ailie arched her hips slightly, telling him what she wanted, but she was unprepared for the sensation that flooded her blood as he slipped one into her. In reaction to this, Ailie slipped her hand between them until she found his erection, and gripped it tightly before rubbing the length of the shaft. Vergil responded by slipping another finger into her heat and toying with her.

Ailie's mind spun as she was slowly losing herself to the waves of pleasure now coursing through her body. Her nerves tingled and her muscles were tightening ever so slightly as he tore the fabric from her, it joining the ruined bra on the floor.

Vergil moved his mouth from her breast to her neck again, and moved her hand away from his cock as he slid into her. She screamed slightly as he buried himself to the hilt within her, letting become accustomed to his again before slowly rocking his hips to withdraw. He felt her hands on his back, pulling him closer as her muscles tightened around him.

No words passed between them as they continued their silent dance of passion, Ailie's breath becoming short and labored as she struggled to hold her release. When it was almost too much, Vergil flipped then until she was straddling him atop his waist. He pulled her to him to kiss her again, his hands untangling the braid of her hair so she could be wrapped in its silky length.

Once he had done this he rocked his hips upward, causing her to gasp again, but this time he did not hesitate in his actions. The feel her wrapped around him, her hands gripping his shoulders as his caressed her breasts was something he had not felt in decades, and he did not want to squander the moment to sensitivity. He knew she could handle him; she had done so many times before this night.

Again he rolled until he was above her, his hips rocketing into hers until she began to squirm under him. Her temperature began to climb and her muscles tightened until she could bare it no more. Her back arched as she came, her nails digging into his skin, the sweet pleasure-pain of it all bringing him to near completion as her body's spasms began to subside.

"That's not all?" She taunted as his pace slowed.

"Have you learned nothing from our past?" His voice was low and husky as he pulled her into a sitting position on his lap, thrusting into her again. "I just hope you can keep up."

"When have I ever not been able to?" She managed to ask before the ability to speak was taken from her.

**Hate to leave you hanging, but u will see why in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed. And plese tell me if i did an okay job with this, it was my first attempt at this in any of my stories. Thanks!**


	5. update

Okay this isn't a new chapter but more of an update. I'm just letting you all know that soon I should be able to maybe update chapter 5 in the story. My computer crashed and then we had some medical problems plus an out-of-state move so we've been busy.


	6. Preparations

**Chapter Five.**

"How long does it take to find one person in a tunnel?" Dante complained after a while. "It didn't take Lucia long to find us."

"Oh just hush and be patient." Trish chided. "They'll come back when they're ready they have issues to discuss after all."

"Yeah, the both of them are stubborn and-"

I think I've found the insignia she needs." Lucia interrupted. "I wonder if she wants us to make it or wait for her to return."

"Why don't we do it for her, it can't be that hard to spread a circle on the ground." Lady suggested.

"The design is actually quiet complicated, and according to the book we'd have to start from a certain direction and face another as the circle is being cast while saying an incantation."

"Yep, we'll wait and let Ailie do it." The group agreed.

"Why does she need this circle again?" Nero asked.

"It's some way for her to contact her friend." Trish replied.

"And she can do that by drawing a circle in the dirt?"

"It's a telepathic bridge between her and the dragon; she can project an astral form of herself directly to the mind of the creature and communicate that way. The circle is to draw in power so that way Ailie does not need to exhaust the reserves she holds within her body. Those are for emergencies and if they are drained completely she could die from exhaustion." Lucia explained as she left the open book on the packed dirt floor and placed the candles inside to hold the place.

"Oh, so how does she do all the other little magic things we've seen her do?" He inquired.

"Those reserves. Granted, they are vast so she can do quite a bit before she feels the effects."

"So how would they be since she hasn't slept in three days and she's used her powers?"

Lucia shook her head slowly back and forth

"I wouldn't know."

"Wouldn't know what?"

The group turned to see Ailie and Vergil walk into the antechamber.

"Where to begin with the insignia." Trish lied. "We were going to see about doing it while you were gone but we didn't know where to start."

The violet-eyed woman nodded.

"Yeah, that one's a bit complicated." She said and came forward to the book. "Ah, I thought it was the concentric circle one but I just couldn't find it."

"Do you need any help with it?" Lady asked, coming forward.

"I would really love some, but unfortunately I'm the only one that can perform this one. Actually if you guys want I was thinking maybe you could go back to the shop and collect some supplies while I do this. It would be better than you all just standing around with nothing to do. Get something to eat while you're there and bring me back something. After this rite I plan on eating and hopefully getting some sleep to recharge. I'm gonna need it if it comes to a fight."

"Sounds good to me!" Dante's spirits lifted at the thought of a huge pepperoni pizza in his future. "Anybody else think it's a good idea besides me?"

"How would we get back here if we left?" Trish asked.

"Lucia or Vergil could learn the teleportation spell that would bring you back, it's extremely simple."

"Why not both just to cover all the bases?" Nero suggested. "And why just them?"

"Because Lucia is more attuned to the inner magics than anyone else and Vergil can already use teleportation plus his knowledge of the demon language." Ailie explained.

"You sayin' the rest of us are just dumb and senseless?" Dante insinuated.

"I said nothing of the sort. All I am trying to say is that they have the greatest chance to successfully learn the spell. If you _want_ to think you're dumb and senseless I won't stop you however."

"…that's cold babe." Dante said after a second with a defeated smile on his face.

"You started it."

"I see you're getting your sense of humor back, that's a good sign."

Ailie smiled at her brother-in-law. "I'm going to need it being around you again."

Dante rolled his cerulean eyes in mock annoyance.

"You sending us back or what?"

"No one else has decided anything, just you."

"I guess we can go back, it would be good to get some food and stock up on ammo." Nero said.

"Same here." Trish and Lady agreed.

Lucia only nodded while Vergil neither said nor did anything.

"Vergil?" Ailie prompted.

"Are you certain you will be safe here alone?" He asked quietly.

"There is no safer place than here." She replied. "Go with them to the surface."

The Dark Slayer looked as if he would argue for a brief moment but decided against it.

"So; who volunteers to be our way in and out of here?" Dante spoke up. " Because I'm ready to leave and get a pizza."

"Ha, why am I not surprised that would be the first thing on your mind?" Trish said with a snort.

"Hey, I ain't eaten since I had to go find her Royal Highness over there in a goddamned snowstorm. I'm starving." He snapped back.

"Old man needs his cream of wheat." Nero giggled.

"Fuck you kid! You're not exactly young anymore either."

"Yeah but I'm not some old geezer with a-"

"Enough!" Ailie's voice echoed through the vast and empty tunnels around them. "We have enough to deal with at the moment without dissention in the ranks."

The two devil hunters looked at her with blank stares, their cerulean eyes unblinking.

"Babe, I haven't heard you yell like that before."

"I've never had to before." She replied with a flip of her ebony hair. "Now if the two of you would kindly shut up for just five minutes, I'll teach Lucia and Vergil and then you can all be on your way."

Meanwhile, in the far off location of the Roxul Mountain range located in the northeastern hemisphere, the self-proclaimed dragon king Bakumut was busy interrogating the princess Luzak, a rather large dragon for a female, with dark bronze scales and a dangerously spiked tail that was coated in razor-sharp unbreakable crystal.

"I know you hold a connection with the demoness now tell me where she is!" His gravelly voice bellowed through the large yet cramped prison.

"I'll tell you no such thing." The smaller female declared defiantly, eyes of brightest diamond flashing brilliantly. "You are nothing more than a glorified serpent to her."

Bakumut growled deeply in his throat.

"When I find out what your connection is I will kill the both of you." He spoke slowly and surely. "Mark my words you lowly female. The return of the Grand Draken is at hand."

Fear ran through the female at the mention of the greatest scourge to happen to her kind.

"You are certainly foolish if you wish to bring back that terror from the depths of the netherworld where it belongs." She breathed. "She only seeks to destroy everything in her path; you will be the first casualty."

If a dragon could smile Bakumut would have just then.

"I have discovered a way to control the Grand One so that she will do my bidding." He said smugly. "and I assure you that your demon queen will not be able to escape. If you wish for her not to suffer you will tell me where she is!"

"Go fly in a hole and get stuck." Luzak spat. "Unlike you I never betray those closest to me."

Bakumut snorted, dark grey smoke flaring from his nostrils.

"You may rot here for eternity." He spoke with finality before disappearing from the dungeons.

_Oh my queen, I pray that you are keeping yourself safely hidden to avoid this impending doom._

"I don't think I'll ever get used to teleporting." Nero groaned as the six of them appeared in front of the garish red glow of the neon sign in front of Devil May Cry.

"Pussy." Dante muttered as he threw open the doors of his shop. "Ah it feels good to be home again!"

"It's only been a week or a little over a week." Trish chastised, going around cutting on some of the lights. "I see you left the place in a mess as usual."

Old pizza boxes and dirty magazines littered almost every surface of the office/living area, including the now-obsolete jukebox in the right-hand corner by the door.

"Hey it was last minute." He defended. "I was in the middle of accepting a really hefty paying job when I was contacted by the council to 'escort' Ailie."

Trish rolled her eyes behind her shades and shook her head.

"So what're we going to do while we're up here?" Nero asked. "I know food and weapons are the priority but is there anything else we would need to do? Bring like clothes or extra food or anything?"

"True, Ailie does have that house down there." Lady said. "If that's going to be our base of operations, then it'd be a good idea to have it stocked."

"There's a house in those tunnels?" Dante asked. "How's she managing that?"

"Dunno but it's definitely got electricity, I'm guessing it's got hot running water too." She replied.

"If she can generate electricity and water in that area, maybe she can produce her own food too." Nero surmised. "Maybe that's something we should have asked about before we left."

"Let's just get some food and stock up on weapons." Lucia suggested. "If she would have wanted us to do or bring anything else, she would have mentioned it I'm sure."

The group nodded in agreement before dispersing throughout the shop to gather their supplies.


	7. Questions

**Chapter 6**

Ailie busied herself with making the circle and lighting the candles to begin the ritual to contact Luzak. She could feel sleep pulling at her consciousness but she brushed it away.

_I must contact Luzak._ She repeated this in her head as she finished the circle and sat in the middle of it, placing the book on her lap. She closed her eyes and concentrated her energy into herself, preparing to enter the astral plane. She chanted the incantation that was needed and opened her eyes to find herself floating in the otherworldly place.

-A-S-T-R-A-L- -P-L-A-N-E- -S-C-E-N-E- -1ST- P-E-R-S-O-N- -V-I-E-W-

_I search for Luzak's mind and find it coming towards me._

"_My queen, are you safe?" She asks me, her booming voice worried._

"_I am safely hidden in the catacombs," I reply. "I am relieved to know you are still alive."_

"_Bakumut will not kill me until he finds out how we are connected and how to find you, my lady please stay where you are and don't do anything foolish. Bakumut plans to awaken the Grand Draken."_

"_The Grand Draken?" I ask, confused. "Who or what is that?"_

"_The Grand Draken is a nightmare personified. She craves chaos and destruction, she cannot be controlled."_

"_Then why is he trying to awaken her?"_

"_He claims to have found a way to control her to obey his command. I fear this will end in the destruction of all races."_

_ "Is there a way you can show me anything pertaining to her?" I ask, I will need the intel for my colleagues."_

"_I can show you a memory from my grandfather, who has passed it down to each generation so that no one would dare to re-awaken her."_

"_Please, I need to see what kind of a threat we are dealing with."_

"_Prepare yourself…"_

_Suddenly I am awash with fear as a giant Wyrm appears in my mind's eye, the creature is hideous, and nothing more than rotting flesh and festering scales, her eyes are dead yet glowing with an ethereal red glow. Her wings are tattered and grotesque, bent at odd angles as are her libs. Her claws make a terrifying scream-like grate against the ground, and her fire-breath is nothing other than sulphur and acid, burning all in her path. She turns those eyes to me and open her mouth…_

"_Do you see why she cannot be brought back?" Luzak pleaded with me. "You must find some way to stop Bakumut."_

_ "I am working on a plan as we speak my friend." I tell her, still feeling the effects of the vision. "If there are any who are still loyal to Jazeen, rally them quickly. I will grant permission for you all to enter the catacombs and we can plan out attack from here."_

"_No! it's too dangerous for you to come here, he'll kill you!"_

"_You will not change my mind Luzak, just tell me your location and we will be there as soon as we can."_

_She hesitated._

"_Luzak, please hurry! I am running out of time here, I must know your location before the spell is completed."_

"_I am located in the dungeons, the lowest basement floor. The guards are still loyal to father, they can help rally the others."_

_ "Yes, do that and let me know when everyone is gathered together, I must go now I can feel my power waning."_

"_Please do not hurt yourself, save your strength if you must…_

_Her voice fades away as I wake back in the catacombs with a start._

_-E-N-D- -O-F- -A-S-T-R-A-L- -P-L-A-N-E- -S-C-E-N-E-_

Ailie shook her head to clear it and rose to her feet. Immediately a wave of dizziness overcame her and she had to steel herself.

"My reserves are getting low…" She said to herself.

"You need to rest."

She turned to see her friends standing behind her, the portal behind them closing. Vergil was gazing at her with worried eyes.

"Yes." She replied wearily. "As much I would like to continue you are right. Besides, there is nothing else for me to do but wait for Luzak to contact me."

"You found her?" Nero asked.

Ailie nodded.

"Bakumut has her in the dungeons, she will rally those still loyal to Jazeen and then I will bring them here. They will be of much help against , our mission has now turned even more dire than before, Bakumut plans to release the Grand Draken, a Wyrm that is a nightmare personified. If she is awakened, then all is lost."

"The Grand Draken?" Trish asked. "How does he hope to control her? She obeys no one and only seeks-"

"Chaos and destruction yes." Ailie cut her off. "I have already been informed. I have not the faintest clue how to fight such a monstrosity, we must prevent it."

"Uh, anyone wat to clue us in?" Dante asked. "Trish, how do you know about this worm thing?"

"Wyrm." Trish corrected. "Mundus thought of awakening her at Mallet Island but decided against it; even his power was no match."

"Oh shit, if he couldn't control her how do we expect to fight it?"

"I don't plan on it." Ailie replied, yawning.

"You need to rest." Vergil repeated.

"Yes I know, oh broken record of mine." She snarked tiredly. "We will retire to the house for now and wait for Luzak's call."

She went to take a step forward and stopped, her mind reeling as she fought another wave of dizziness.

"You okay?" Nero asked her.

"I'm not sure." She replied. "I'm having difficulty-"

"You've exhausted your reserves, haven't you?" Vergil inquired of her.

"It would seem so…" She replied quietly, before her legs gave out from beneath her and she fell.

"Andorra!" Vergil rushed forward and grabbed her before she could hit the ground and lifted into his arms bridal-style. The woman was out cold.

"I think now would be a good time to get to that house you guys said she has." Dante muttered quietly to the other three females.

"Yes." They agreed, leading the way.

-B-R-E-A-K-

"How long is she gonna be asleep?" Nero asked as the clock on the wall read nine the next morning. "She's been out for a while."

"No way to tell," Trish said. "If she's exhausted her reserves she could sleep for days, if not a week or more."

"It won't be long." Lucia said as she came downstairs. "She is recovering quite quickly, despite her exhaustion."

"She's been going non-stop since I found her in the snow, I'm honestly surprised she lasted this long." Dante remarked. "So, how long 'til she's up and at 'em again?"

"By this time tomorrow at the latest. Earlier than that if she feel sup to it." The red head answered him.

"I'm sure Vergil is staying right by her?" Lady asked, inspecting Kalina Ann.

"Yes, his presence is helping in some way I can't understand yet, but as long as she is well."

Dante thought for a moment.

"Could it be that spell…" He murmured out loud.

"What spell?" Lucia asked.

"Uh, I'm not sure exactly." He said. "She said something about a spell and it concerned Vergil but I don't know the particulars."

The three women and Nero looked at him.

"What? I said I don't know details. Go ask him, he knows."

"And what do I know?"

The group turned to see Vergil standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Did Ailie put a spell on you?" Lady asked, a bit infuriated now.

"Relax." He told the brunette. "It's for protection against me should I turn again."

"How does it work?" Trish asked.

"If I turn, it prevents me from hurting her. I assume she has a way to reverse it if need be so that I don't hurt anyone else as well."

"That's a nifty trick," Lady said. "Would have come in useful in several other instances as well."

"Yes. I know my actions were deplorable in the past. Drop the subject." He said, ice forming his words as he walked to the kitchen.

-B-R-E-A-K-

Ailie's subconscious floated in and out of dreams haunted by images that alternated between the nightmarish appearance of the Wyrm and those of her own terror as her friends and colleagues fell before the monster. She wanted to scream, to stop this onslaught from happening but she found she could not move. Her body was frozen in place, helpless as Bakumut loomed over her, an evil smile on his scaly face, one clawed foot raised to crush her where she stood…

"No!" She woke with a cry, sitting bolt-upright in the bed. She was covered in a cold sweat and her breathing was sharp and ragged. She looked around her, realizing where she was.

_I'm in the house; I must have passed out after the ritual…_

Ailie threw the covers off of her and got out of the bed, swaying a bit but she quickly recovered as the door opened to reveal Vergil.

"I see you're feeling better." He remarked kindly.

"How long have I been out?"

"Just over 36 hours." He replied.

Ailie raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Only a day and a half? That's half my usual recovery rate…"

"Vergil's presence has helped." Lucia said as she appeared behind Vergil. "Although how, I'm not sure."

"Hmm…I'll go through the library later on and see." Ailie replied. "For now, I'm going take a shower."

"Wait." Lucia said, coming into the room. "Vergil, would you please allow us to talk in private?"

Vergil gazed at her with guarded apprehension before sighing.

"I will return soon." He told Ailie as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

"What's up Lucia?" Ailie asked.

"I need to know the particulars of the spell you placed on Vergil, the pros and cons."

"Particualrs? Such as?"

"The spell is to prevent Vergil from turning against you, is it not?"

"Yes…Where are you going with this?"

"If, in the event he does turn, is there a way you could prevent him from turning on the rest of us?"

"Oh! Yeah, that's included. Because if he turns against you, it would be as if he were turning against me. You are my friends and my family, you are offered the same protection as I, regardless of rank or title."

Lucia sighed in relief.

"Thank you, the others found out from Dante and were beginning to be upset, now I can tell them there is nothing to worry over."

"Dante and his big mouth…maybe he should be ran through with one of his swords again…"

Lucia giggled.

"I thought you did not want dissention in the ranks?"

"If I wanted to I could pull the rank card and do what I please, but I will not do that. I have no reason other than being irritated at my brother-in-law, which is not that goo reason if you think about it."

"That depends on how the situation is looked at." Lucia gave her a wink.

Ailie laughed. "I suppose it does. Is that all you wanted?"

"Yes, I will leave now. Would you like me to-"

"Yeah, he can come back now."


	8. Rescue

**Chapter 7**

Ailie was rummaging around through her clothes when Vergil came back in.

"Do I want to know?" He asked warily, closing the door behind him.

"Girl talk." She lied. "So, no."

"You are a terrible liar, Andorra."

"No, I'm a good liar; it's your bullshit detector that makes me seem a bad liar." She quipped with a smile on her face. "But for now, no, what Lucia and I talked about does not concern you."

He raised a silver eyebrow but did not push the issue.

"Fine, how are you feeling?"

"Much better. I'm not exactly one hundred percent but I'm better than I was."

"You-"

"I am fit enough for what is to come, that is all you need to worry about." She cut him off. "You are in my domain now, Vergil. If you overstep your boundaries, I will not be the one you will have to answer to. My powers may be waning, but I am still the Queen."

"Why do you insist on reminding me of this?" He asked heatedly. "This is not what I intended-"

"Do you think I like having to hold my power over you?!" She exploded. "Because I don't; I am not trying to make you suffer, I… Ugh! Why is it so hard to talk to you?! It's always been like this!"

He was taken aback by her outburst.

"Andorra, what is wrong? I understand you are stressed because of the threat to your life but there is something else bothering you as well, I can sense it."

Ailie sighed and sank back down on the bed.

"I'm scared." She whispered. "This couldn't have come at a worse time, Bakumut and his planning. My powers are weakening as I near the end of my reign, and I'm afraid I may not be enough to stop him."

Vergil sat down next to her, brushing the hair from her face.

"You will not be fighting him alone."

"I know, but even with your help and that of the few dragons we will have, I still fear our mission will fail."

"Haven't you gone against high-ranking demons before?" He asked her. "You are-"

"Not allowed to battle." She confessed. "If an enemy threatens me, the armies go after him in my stead. Aside from when I distracted Bakumut at the hotel, I've never fought, not once, since I was crowned. I don't even know the depths of my powers, or how strong they are since they're waning. I also fear the spell I put on you will weaken as well."

"What if you do not name an heir? Will not regain your powers since there is no one to pass them to?"

"I don't know, that has never happened before." She replied. "There has never been a monarch that has not named an heir. I already need to go into my library; maybe something in there will have the answer. But right now, I am going take a shower. I know I just had one at the hotel, nut with the events that have followed, I feel as if I need another one."

"Would you like some company?"

Ailie smiled.

"Sure, but I don't how clean I'll be if you come-"

Wordlessly he followed her.

-B-R-E-A-K-

The group of five were milling about downstairs when Ailie and Vergil suddenly came rushing, their hair still wet from the shower.

"Ok! Time to go." She was saying breathlessly. "Lazuk just contacted me, it's time to go, get you r shit and get ready."

The group gathered round as she teleported them directly to the dragon's dungeons far beneath the Roxul Mountains.

"My Queen!" Lazuk called. "Get out! It's a trap-"

-B-R-EA-K-

"God damn that woman is going to get us all killed!" Dante shouted once they were back in the catacombs after the battle with Bakumut and his forces.

"Calm down." Trish was saying. "We all knew it would be dangerous when we went there, how could we have known-"

"Will everyone stop telling me to calm the fuck down!?" He exploded.

"You're taking this out of proportion- "Nero started before he was cut off.

"You stay out of this kid!" Dante snarled.

"Now that's uncalled for!" Lady interrupted. "Dante what is wrong with you?"

"You want to know what's wrong with me? Fine I'll tell you-"

"ENOUGH!" The deep, booming voice of one the dragons reverberated throughout the chamber. "You puny, insignificant specks of life just love to argue, don't you?"

The all turned to see a large white dragon with turned down horns and amber colored eyes staring down at them.

"Your Queen has been injured trying to protect our princess and your colleagues and all you want to do is chastise her for it. Yes, I do agree her last action was a bit hasty and foolish, but she did what needed to be done, can you fault her for that? Her mate does not seem to harbor any ill-will against her."

"Oh, he just hasn't said anything." Dante snorted. "Just wait, he'll rip her a new one soon."

"I will do nothing of the sort." Vergil's voice drifted to the group from his place against the front door. "As much as I hate to admit it, our scaly friend is right. You, dear brother, seem to be the only one that is upset with her."

"I have a reason!" Dante said animatedly. "And you can bet it's a damn good one too!"

"Save your explanation for Andorra, once she is healed then you may yell at her all you wish. Do not blame me if she throws you through a window for your insolence."

"Let me guess, she's threatened to do the same to you?"

"In not so many words, but yes." Vergil answered him. "She is not the same fragile person she was years ago, she is in a position that demands our respect; we should do so until she is no longer in reign."

The group just stared at him.

"You're actually gonna listen to someone?" Dante asked incredulously. "Well ain't that a shocker."

"Oh shut up you insolent fool." Vergil brushed him off, approaching the dragon that had been speaking.

"The army that attacked us, I assume it is larger." He said.

The dragon snorted, smoke furling from his nostrils.

"Of course it is." He replied. "Larger, in fact, than the ones controlled by your Queen. She does realize she has set you all on a suicide mission, correct?"

Vergil raised an eyebrow at his question, but before he could reply, another booming gravelly voice cut in.

"Enough Reirut, there is quite enough going on without your sarcasm causing even further dissention among us."

The speaker, a bronze coated dragon with grey eyes approached them.

"Oh, c'mon Ifrir." Reirut said. "I was just stating a fact.

The dragon named Ifrir snorted in derision.

"Silence, you have only just come of age, you should remember your lesson of minding your tongue in matters that do not concern you."

Reirut hung his large head and slinked away, his wings drooping along his smooth back.

"That spawn of mine…" Ifrir murmured before turning to face the group. "I apologize for my son's actions, he has only just become and adult and feels he should comment on anything, whether it concerns him or not."

"I am quite used to that." Vergil replied. "We all are."

"Right, so, your queen was injured during the battle? Does she have a healer to treat her?"

"Lucia is trying the best she can, and Lazuk is there to assist, but even they are having troubles. Lazuk sent me out to ask one of you to find your healer, Blaerune."

"Ah, yes, he is skulking about somewhere I'm sure." Ifrir said, craning his long neck to look around the now semi-crowded chamber. "Ah, he is tending to his own tail. You will find him that way. He is the smallest of us all."

"Thank you." Vergil said before turning to find the dragon in question. After several moments he found a very small black dragon, no bigger than a Komodo lizard, and approached him.

"Blaerune, I presume?" He asked the creature, whom seemed to be fighting a bandage with his pointed teeth. He spit out the roll and turned his ruby-colored eyes to Vergil.

"Can I help you?" His voice was small and high-pitched.

"Luzak requests your presence in the Queen's chambers." The Dark Slayer informed him. "She was injured by Bakumut."

"Hmph, that useless lump of scales, can't even fight fair." Blaerune snorted. "Had to poison the tips of his claws just to gain an advantage…I will be there momentarily."

"Would you like some assistance?" Vergil inquired. "You appear to be struggling."

"If you are willing to help an old dragon then it would be greatly appreciated."

Vergil came forward and quickly helped to warp the tail before standing again.

"Wow, top notch if I do say so myself." The healer muttered appreciatively. "Well, let's go tend to Andorra."

-B-R-E-A-K-

In the room upstairs, Lucia was trying to do as Lazuk instructed and neutralize the poison bakumut had struck Ailie with, and was failing miserably.

"Where is that measly healer?" Luzak growled. "He needs to hurry before-"

"Calm your fire-breath, I'm here."

Lucia looked down to see the black lizard snaking its way onto the bed, resting his body against Ailie's, his bag supported in his teeth.

"Hmm, luckily he is as stupid as I thought, the poison will not kill her, but if we do not stop it before it reaches her heart, she will be severely ill for some time. You," He said, indicating Lucia. "I need you to sit her up so I can get to the wounds."

Lucia silently acknowledged him, propping Ailie so that she was propped against her shoulder, her back exposed to the healer.

"Ah, yes." He muttered to himself, inspecting the large claw marks that burned red against the pale skin of the Queen. "Yes, her shirt will have to be removed. Vergil, if you could please?"

Vergil did as he was asked, quickly removing the shirt so that she was left in nothing save for a pale bra, which, unfortunately, would have to be removed as well seeing as it too was damaged beyond repair. He used the blanket on the bed to cover her as best he could while still leaving her back bare.

Blaerune moved to her back, raising up onto his hind legs and gently resting his forefeet on her back.

"The fever is fierce…I shall have to do this quickly. Vergil, in my bag, grab the blue vial and a roll of bandages. I do hope she is not overly fond of these sheets; the antidote is likely to stain them."

Vergil grabbed the items requested.

"Pour the antidote on the wounds but be careful to not contact it yourself, it tends to have side effects if you are not in need of it. Yes that's enough. If you would apply the bandages I will begin the healing spell so that she feels no pain. Once that is done, she should be fine in a couple of hours."

Indeed several hours later Ailie was feeling better, though her back was sore.

"It's time to devise a battle plan." She said. "No doubt Bakumut will accelerate his plans now we have a formidable force to counter him."


	9. Reinforcements

**Chapter 8**

"Okay, wanting to make a plan is fine and all," Dante started. "But how exactly are we supposed to fight dragons? That's one thing I've never faced."

"Simple," Ailie said, leading the group outside to the crowd of dragons. "We simply use our friends here and spar, if that is okay with you Ifrir." She said, acknowledging the bronze male.

"If it will help to get rid of Bakumut, then it is fine by me." He replied. "However, I would like to choose the pairs."

"That is fine by me; I have already trained with Luzak over the years so I will not be participating. I will be doing research in my library."

And with that, she walked away, leaving her friends in the capable claws and tutelage of Ifrir.

"So, who gets who?" Dante asked. "This outta be fun."

Ifrir turned his steely gaze on the devil hunter before grinning widely.

"You and Reirut shall be paired; you seemed to get along so well."

"Ha, nice to see you have a sense of humor." Dante snorted. "He was the white one wasn't he?"

"You can find him skulking about somewhere; I suggest you wait here until everyone is informed and prepared."

-B-R-E-A-K-

Meanwhile, in the library beneath her home, Ailie was sorting through her bookshelves and boxes, trying to find several things at once.

"Healing, that's one I need. Now to find out about the Grand Draken…"

"No offense my queen," A high voice said from somewhere near her feet. "But I do not believe you will find anything."

"Blaerune, is that you?" she asked lightly, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Why will I not find anything on the Grand Draken here?"

"Because any record of her was destroyed from the histories, to prevent anyone from summoning her again."

"Hmm, well that is one less thing for me to look for…however, I need some kind of information so that we may know how to fight her." Ailie said.

"There is only one weakness that terror possesses…the memory of being alive. If one can make her remember her life before she was damned, then she will leave."

"Is that how it was done last time?"

"I do not know, I was not hatched at the time."

Ailie sighed. "This is going to be next to impossible if she is summoned."

"The only hope we have is to stop Bakumut from summoning her, then we will not have to worry about it." The healer replied, following her as she ascended the stairs to the living room.

"I agree." Ailie said as the ground trembled. "Sounds like they're having a good time, I think I'll go check it out before I start reading."

-B-R-E-A-K-

"Dragons, though large and able to fly quickly, are slow and lumbering creatures while on the ground." Ifrir was saying as Dante and Reirut stared each other down, cerulean eyes boring into amber ones. "We use our tails and necks to do most of our fighting when our enemy is a distance from us, and our claws when they are close."

"Perhaps an example before they start."

All eyes turned to see Ailie and Luzak coming towards them.

"That does seem a good idea," the bronze male responded. "Fine, if you would like, you tow may begin."

The dragons formed a circle around the pair, placing the demons at their scaled feet.

"This should be interesting." A Blue female dragon beside Lucia muttered. "I have not seen the queen fight for some time now; I wonder just how much she had improved."

"She has done this before?" the red head asked.

"Oh yes, when she first came to the mountains, Jazeen deemed she needed to show her skills as payment for coming to Jazeen's coronation. She was the first outsider to ever come to such an event."

"She has always been fascinated by your kind." Lucia said with a smile as the queen and her friend circled each other in the make-shift ring. "No doubt she wanted to see for herself to satisfy her curiosity."

"That is what she said." The dragon said. "Oh, where are my manners? My name is Sapphire."

"Lucia. I take it your name is derived from your coloring?"

Sapphire nodded.

"I am one of the few dragons that are colored purely, meaning my eyes and scales match perfectly, there is no other color."

"And so they named you after a precious stone, how appropriate."

"I thought so." Sapphire said with an air of pride. "Oh! They're starting."

"I will not be so easily bested this time, Andorra." Luzak sneered at her friend.

Ailie laughed. "Fine by me, 'cuz I won't be going easy just because we're friends."

Without warning, Luzak's long neck stretched out, jaws wide to snatch the woman in her teeth but growled when they chomped on empty air.

"Where have you gone?"

"Ha ha, up here!"

Luzak craned her head to see the queen suspended from the ceiling, her feet planted firmly on the rocky roof.

"That's a new trick." The dragon scoffed. "But becoming a bat will not help you-"

"No fire." Ailie called. "Not in such close quarters or you'll boil our innards."

"Right." Luzak agreed. "Then that is a handy trick for the moment, why don't you come down and we can continue?"

With a smile Ailie flipped off the ceiling and back onto the floor, landing gracefully on her feet before turning on her toes to face her comrade.

"Why isn't she using her weapons?" Nero asked.

A small grey-green dragon with blue-grey eyes answered him.

"Weapons are useless against a dragons scales. They will bend and break upon contact."

"So, how is she supposed to injure her?"

"Every dragon has a weak point, for Luzak it is located behind the elbow joint of her left front leg. Ifrir is just below his jaw; Reirut is the first joint on the right wing. Sapphire, the blue female to your right, is just behind the fringe of horns on her head. There are others but I think we should let you discover them."

Luzak tried again to snap Ailie with her jaws, withdrew and snaked forward in the direction Ailie had rolled, grabbing the female by her hair.

"Ow!" Ailie cried. "Hey, that actually hurt!"

Luzak spit out the length of hair, freeing her friend before licking her tongue across the scales on her upper jaw.

"That is distasteful!" Luzak growled. "Since when have you not put your hair up in a fight?"

"Since I'm out of ponytails and I didn't have time to braid it after my shower-hey wait1 how can it be distasteful? It's clean!"

"It is hair, it is always distasteful."

"Yeah well you look funny bald!" Ailie spat back, giving her hair a cringe-worthy look. "Now I'm gonna have to wash it again!"

"Will the two stop prattling about Andorra's hair?" Vergil called. "This is supposed to be a demonstration, not a conversation."

Ailie smiled and shook her head.

"If you insist oh, impatient one." She replied back before turning back to her friend.

"Shall we begin?" Luzak asked.

"Yes."

-B-R-E-A-K-

"So the pairs are; Dante and Reirut, Vergil and I, Lucia and Sapphire, Nero and Blade, Trish and Lineena, and Lady will be paired with Blaerune."

"I thought Blaerune was a Healer?" Nero said.

"Healers are still able to battle." Ifrir replied. "Now, it may be a good idea for each pair to split off and each finds a separate area to train. Hopefully we will minimize casualties this way."

"I have a map for everyone." Ailie told them. "And it's very simple to navigate by, since most of the passages are tombs and therefore off-limits. The ones marked by x's are collapsed and the ones shaded in blue are water halls, those are okay." She explained as she handed everyone a map.

"Will you be fine here by yourself?" Vergil asked her quietly as the others slipped off.

"I'll have Luzak." She replied, casting her eyes to the floor. "You've nothing to worry over."

"There was once a time you wanted me to worry." He said, tracing a finger along the line of her jaw and down to her chin. "Are those days gone?"

Ailie sighed and turned her violet gaze on him. "No, just for now there are other things we must concentrate on."

"Your safety is the only thing that concerns me." He told her, dropping his hand to cover hers. "I'll always worry for you."

She smiled. "I know. I'm sorry if I continue losing my temper with you, I don't mean to."

"I understand. When this over, I-"

"Hey Vergil!" Dante called from across the chamber. "Ifrir's gonna leave you behind."

"Damn him and his timing." Vergil said with a sigh. "It seems I must leave you once again my Queen."

Ailie smiled.

"Go on, you have a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it in." She said. "I'll be fine here."

She watched as the Dark Slayer made his way to the rather large group now leaving the central chamber.

_It seems like a large group of allies, but in reality this is meager compared to Bakumut's armies._

She sighed and turned towards her dragon.

"Luzak…your brother. How is he?"

"I see what you're doing." Luzak said smugly. "He and his allies are preparing themselves as well. This will increase our numbers to at least 500."

"That is still not even an eighth of Bakumut's army." Ailie said disappointedly. "Am I setting us on a suicide mission?"

"This is war, Andora." Luzak said, putting her head close to her friend, trying to comfort her. "There are always casualties. At least you are fighting for a cause, your friends know what is at stake and they choose to fight alongside you still. That is something we have that Bakumut does not."

"Friends?"

"Loyalty." Luzak answered her. "You just watch, we shall come out victorious in this battle."

"The thought of the Grand Draken worries me, I have nothing on it in my library. Blaerune said anything on her was destroyed to prevent her return."

"In all but the dragon archives, yes." Luzak replied. "And even those are heavily guarded."

"Bakumut would have access since he's the reigning monarch now I'm sure." Ailie muttered bitterly. "This is not going to be easy at all, is it?"

Luzak shook her head slowly.

"I'm afraid not my friend."


End file.
